My Fairy Tail Band
by rock-glamour-animeroxx211
Summary: Lucy is contented with seeing her fave band often at her workplace. Suddenly, she does something that led to her being close with them. Just as they are finally friends, questions start tormenting her that lead to her doubting their friendship. Want to know what happened? Read this epic story about friendship, the past and memories that are bound to haunt you. Full summary inside x
1. Summary

**Summary:**

 **Lucy is happy and contented with seeing her fave band often at her workplace. Suddenly, she does something that led to her being close with them. Just as they are finally friends, questions start tormenting her that lead to her doubting their friendship. Why did her parents die? Why does the band know so much about her? Why do weird things happen to her when she is around them? Want to know what happened? Read this epic story about friendship, the past and memories that are bound to haunt you**

 **Continue reading to the first chapter.**


	2. Chapter 1: Ice Cream Shop

**My Fairy Tail Band**

Chapter 1: Ice Cream Shop

 **Lucy's P.O.V.**

"Oh my gosh! I'm so late!" I screamed while frantically trying to stuff things in my bag. Hairbrush? Check. Wallet? Check. Phone? Check. Make-up kit?

"Where on earth is my make-up kit?!" I rummaged through my stuff yet again.

"Make-up kit…make-up kit…Oh, make-up kit!" I said triumphantly while waving my make-up kit in the air. I applied make-up on my face vigorously. I looked like a super fast-forwarded make-up tutorial video.

"Oh, nice!" I exclaimed sarcastically. My make-up got smeared.

"Okay, Lucy. Calm down. Let's take this maturely and professionally," I said to myself. I wiped the make-up off and started over.

I didn't mean to but I caught a glimpse of my wrist-watch. "Oh, no! Ten minutes to go. Uncle is so going to kill me!"

I quickly finished applying my make-up and hurried out the door. I passed by my neighbor, Stephen. "Whoa! You late again, Luce?"

"Sorry. Can't talk. Got to go. Bye," I said as I ran across the street. I think I left behind a cloud of dust and smoke in his face. I silently apologized in my mind.

"Uwaa! 3 minutes!" I ran faster.

At last, I arrived at my workplace. "Good morning, Uncle Brent!"

"Good morning, Lucy," He glanced at the wall clock. "You're on time."

"Yeah. Well, this job is really important to me, Uncle," I said and gave him a big, warm smile.

He chuckled. "Ok, ok. Now get to work, young lady. Customers are beginning to arrive."

"Oh and wipe that sweat on your forehead. It looks like you've ran a marathon," he added.

"You have no idea, Uncle," I said in my mind.

"Sir, yes sir!" I said out loud and saluted him. I quickly got behind the counter and arranged the stuff I needed to do for the day. I was preparing the cash register when I heard the shop bell ring. I looked up from what I was doing. I saw a girl come in.

"Good morning, Miss. What would you like?" I said and smiled at the customer.

"Um, just one rocky road," She replied.

"Small, medium or large?"

"Medium."

"Ok. One medium-sized rocky road coming right up," I said and got her order ready. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she said and handed me some cash. I watched her leave as she happily ate her ice cream.

Yes, I work at an ice cream shop. My uncle Brent, Dad's brother, owns it. My parents are both dead you see. I don't know how they died. Nobody wants to tell me about it and I don't want to know anyway.

Now, I'm currently living alone in my apartment. Uncle Brent offered me the job to help me pay my rent and earn some cash, of course. I'm so grateful for him and his family. They have treated me like their own daughter and even offered to let me stay in their home but I refused since I don't want to be a burden to them. Besides, I want to stand on my own feet.

I work on Mondays to Fridays and I only take on a morning shift since my other co-employee takes the afternoon one. And I love my job here. Seeing people leave the shop with smiles on their faces is one of the reasons.

The shop bell rang again and I saw some people who just entered the shop wearing some silly disguises. "Finally, some ice cream."

Another reason is them.

"Good morning, Lucy!" said a blue cat that flew next to me and clung to my shoulder.

"Hi there!" said the pink-haired guy with a wide grin and a happy personality.

"Hi," said the scarlet-haired girl with a tough-looking expression.

"Hey," said the raven-haired guy with a well-toned body, nice abs and is…is…NAKED?!

"G-good morning," I replied. I blushed and smiled shyly; I couldn't help it. I've been seeing them often and yet they still have that same effect on me.

"Hey, put on a shirt will you? We're out in public if you haven't noticed," said the scarlet-haired girl named Erza and punched the raven-haired guy.

"Ow. Quit it will you? The girls love this body!" retorted the raven-haired guy, Gray.

"Yeah? Well, I don't!" Erza ordered. "Now put a shirt on."

"Alright, alright," said Gray as he pulled a shirt over his head. "I don't know if you're even counted as a girl, though."

"What did you say, Gray?" Erza asked nicely but when I looked at her face she wore that killer expression that sent chills down my spine.

"N-nothing, Erza," Gray said as he backed away. "I said you're the most girly girl I have ever seen."

"Really?" Erza said creepily and chased Gray around the shop.

"Good thing there aren't any customers right now or else they could have been disturbed," the blue cat, Happy, said.

"Don't mind them. Now let's have some ice cream," said the pink-haired guy, Natsu, with sparkling eyes.

I tore my gaze away from the ruckus and came back to my senses. "Oh, so what would you like?"

"The usual," Natsu answered and took a seat at a table for four near the window with Happy trailing behind him.

I immediately set to work. One vanilla ice cream with strawberries and almonds as hard as armor for Erza, our mint chocolate "Brr" ice cream(the coldest that could be found in the city) for Gray, a sizzling, hot and spicy Jalapeno ice cream for Natsu and a fish-flavored ice cream specially made for Happy. I placed them on a tray and served them at their table.

"H-here you go," I said.

"Thanks, Lucy," said Erza and they started digging into their ice cream.

I was about to return to the counter when Natsu called me. "Hey, Lucy. Come sit here with us."

M-me? I looked at Uncle Brent who was reading some papers with questioning eyes. He smiled and nodded. Yes! There weren't many customers at this kind of time, anyway.

I nervously took a seat beside Natsu. They were all laughing at Natsu's hilarious joke. I joined in, too. I stared at Natsu. Wow, only he could stand our spicy-flavored ice cream. Most of our customers had to chug a bottle of water after they ate their first scoop. Now, Erza was talking. I stared at her as she ate her ice cream. I'm amazed at how strong her teeth are. Most people would get their teeth off when they ate our almonds. Then, I stared at Gray in awe. Even after a dozen scoops, he still isn't getting brain freeze. I got brain freeze the instant I put that ice cream in my mouth. I shivered as I recalled what had happened. Then, I stared at Happy. He seems to be enjoying his ice cream very much. Uncle Brent specially made that for him. I remembered when he finally perfected it and gave me the honor of tasting it first. I spit it out in the blink of an eye. But Happy LOVES it.

Suddenly, an image flashed in my mind. A blurry picture of five people eating ice cream together. I don't know who they are because all I can see are silhouettes.

"Lucy?"

"W-what?" I said as I finally came back to my senses.

"Natsu asked you if it's going great in the shop," said Happy and they stared at me with concern. Why do they look so worried?

"S-sorry, guys. I spaced out," I said, embarrassed. "Of course it's doing great. Lots of people come to eat here now, thanks to you guys."

"Sure! We love this place. It has the best ice cream ever," Natsu said and stuffed ice cream in his mouth. I laughed at him.

"Agreed," Gray said and finished his ice cream.

"Thanks for the ice cream. We'll come back soon," Erza said as they were about to leave.

"S-sure! No problem," I said and smiled.

"We'll be really busy these upcoming weeks. Especially with the world tour just around the corner," said Happy.

"But don't worry. We _will_ come back," Natsu said and grinned.

"That's a promise," Gray said.

"That's great. Thanks for stopping by," I said as they exited the shop.

As each of them stepped out of the door, they gazed at me with sad, knowing eyes. What's up with that?

"Uh…" I hesitated. "W-wait, guys!"

But I was too late. They already left. I sighed and slumped back against my seat. I took the CD out of my pouch and held it firmly. I didn't get to make them sign it again. I sighed once more. I stared at empty space and mentally punished myself for not having enough courage to ask them.

"Lucy! There are customers coming," Uncle Brent called out from his office.

"Oh! Yes, Uncle. I'm on it," I said and hurriedly returned behind the cash register.

Customers were starting to fill the shop. I had to take orders really fast while Uncle Brent helped me serve them. But I still couldn't take that image off my head. I was too unfocused that I dropped the change I was going to hand over to the customer.

"Sorry," I muttered. The customer just shot me an irritated look. I sighed.

As my shift was coming to an end, customers were also starting to exit the shop.

"Phew, that was exhausting," I said and wiped my forehead.

"Rest for a while, Lucy. Kendall is going to come soon," Uncle Brent said. Then, he handed me my money.

"Thanks, Uncle," I said and hugged him tightly.

"You're welcome. That money is well-earned," he said. I smiled back at him.

I waited for my co-employee, Kendall, to come. He takes the afternoon shift. As I waited for him, I remembered Natsu, Happy, Gray and Erza. They're actually this band called Fairy Tail. Natsu is the vocalist, Erza is the lead guitar, while Gray plays the bass guitar and Happy is the drummer. I don't know how he flies or how he's a blue cat but his drumming skills are insane. They're famous all around the world. People go crazy over them. I am actually one of their biggest fans. I have collected tons of posters, CDs, albums and their band paraphernalia in 5 years. And I am so thankful to actually get to see them often because they eat at the ice cream shop whenever they can so technically I know them personally. But because I am such a big coward I have never got them to sign my CDs and other band-related stuff. I think they don't even know that I'm a huge fan of theirs. I sighed.

Suddenly, wild red curls assaulted my vision. "What's with the sigh, Lucy? Didn't get Fairy Tail to sign your CD again?" the curly redhead asked.

"No, Kendall," I said and sighed once more.

"Don't sweat it. They always visit the shop so you'd have lots more opportunities," Kendall said and grinned at me.

Somehow, my mood lightened up a bit. "Thanks, Kendall. I got to go now. Say hi to Mari for me."

"Sure thing," he replied and I walked towards the exit.

"Dad, I'm here to take the afternoon shift," I heard him say.

I exited the shop and started walking to my apartment. That was Kendall. He has a younger sister named Mari. They're Uncle Brent's children so that makes us cousins. Kendall is about my age while Mari is younger than us by three years. I grew up with them and we treat each other like siblings. Mari is also a huge fan of Fairy Tail and we talk about them almost all the time. She visits the shop sometimes to catch a glimpse of Fairy Tail in person and talk to them but whenever she visits they aren't there or whenever they're there, she isn't. That's why she's jealous of me to the point that she even wants to work in the ice cream shop. I laughed at the memory. But she's too young so Uncle didn't let her yet.

"Finally, my sweet, sweet apartment!" I exclaimed as I plopped down on the couch. I ate lunch first and afterwards I lied down on my bed.

"Hmm..What should I do this afternoon?" I rolled on my bed then picked up a book to read. But then I got bored so I decided to call Levy. She is one of my best friends who is also a big fan of Fairy Tail. After a few rings, she picked up.

"Hello? Levy speaking," she said.

"Hi, Levy! It's Lucy. Can we hang out today?"

"Oh, hi Lucy. I'm sorry but I have to run an errand for my mom. She wants me to buy some new books for her and I have to buy some herbs, too."

"What for?"

"Oh, grandma is just feeling a little sick."

"Really? How is she right now?"

"She's fine. Although her head hurts occasionally but Mom said there's nothing her herbs can't do." I heard her laugh.

"That's good. Wait, do you want me to come with you? We can buy the herbs and books your mom needs and buy Fairy Tail stuff along the way."

"Hmm…I'll think about it…"

"I'll buy you their newest album."

"Ok! Meet you at ice cream shop at 2. See you there."

I laughed. I knew she would say yes. "Ok, bye, Levy."

"Bye, Lucy," she said and hung up.

I immediately got dressed and headed back to the ice cream shop. When I arrived she was already there.

"Let's go! I can't wait to get my hands on their newest album," Levy said with twinkling eyes.

"Let me remind you that I am the one who's going to buy you the album," I said.

"I know! That's why I'm so grateful to have you as my best friend," Levy said and hugged me.

"I'm really starting to think that you befriended me just to take advantage of me," I said.

She shot me an incredulous and hurt look.

"Kidding," I said and punched her softly on her arm. We both laughed.

"Now, come on! What are we waiting for?" I laughed as she pulled me.

We bought the herbs and the books her mom wanted. She also bought books for herself. She is a bookworm, you see. Then, we went to our favorite Fairy Tail shop and bought lots of stuff: pins, posters, t-shirts and of course the album I promised Levy.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, Lucy! I'm going to listen to this as soon as I arrive home," she said and hugged the album.

"No problem. That's what fellow best-friends-who-are-into-Fairy Tail are for," I said and winked. She smiled back at me.

"Take care, Levy," I said and waved her goodbye.

"Bye, Lucy. Thanks for today," she said and waved back.

I entered the apartment feeling super exhausted. I ate dinner, freshened up and wore the new shirt a bought with Natsu's face on it. Before I went to sleep, I checked for news about Fairy Tail on the internet. My eyes lit up as I saw a contest for Fairy Tail fans. Lots of fans are already entering. I also entered the registration form and pressed JOIN.

"This is going to be exciting," I said and yawned. "Good thing that image in my head didn't bug me for the rest of the day." Then, I drifted off to sleep.

That night, I dreamed about Fairy Tail-my first dream in weeks. I dreamed that I was performing with them, in front of thousands of people...and they're shouting my name. Suddenly, my head hurt and I awoke with a start. I breathed heavily like I had just run a marathon. My heart beat wildly in my chest. Cold sweat trickled down my neck. I mentally thought of happy things and forced myself to calm down.

"Ok, calm down. I'm going crazy. It seems like my dreams are spiraling to greater heights," I said and rolled my eyes. Then, I went back to sleep. Still, I couldn't shake that dream off my mind.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello, readers! Did you like the first chapter? Then, please Favorite, Follow and Share! I would really appreciate it ^_^ I am also open for comments.**

 **Want to know what kind of contest Lucy just entered? Then, stay tuned for the next chapter. I will post news about my updates on my twitter account - BrielleSilver.**

 **I'll also mention some (special) readers only and some are going to be minor characters of the story! PM me on my profile or DM me on twitter.**

 **P. S.**

 **Some characters are OCs(Own Characters) and are not associated to the Fairy Tail manga and/or anime.**

 **Peace out,**

 **rock-glamour-animeroxx211**


	3. Chapter 2: Hectic

**Chapter 2: Hectic**

"Uwaa! Late again! That stupid dream kept me up last night. Ugh!" Lucy said as she panicked yet again.

"Ok, wallet…phone…" Lucy said as she looked through the contents of her bag. Her room was literally a mess. Clothes were scattered all over her bed. Paper towels, hair pins and lots of other stuff littered the floor of her bedroom.

"Why do I have a have a flashlight in my bag?!" She said incredulously while waving the said object in the air. "Oh well. It might be useful for dark corners or something."

Lucy quickly stuffed random stuff in her bag. She fixed her hair into her usual hairstyle, adjusted her cute pink top and purple pleated skirt and bolted out the door. She didn't even bother to lock it.

 _Hopefully there won't be any burglars that would steal into my apartment._

"Hey, Lucy!" Stephen, Lucy's neighbor, greeted her.

"Sorry, Stephen. Late for work!" Lucy yelled as she crossed the busy street filled with people.

"Again? You're making this a daily habit, you know!" Stephen yelled back.

"I know. That's why it's called a habit!" Lucy yelled back once more. She dashed into a dark alley and disappeared from Stephen's line of vision.

She decided to take the shortcut today, even if it was a little dangerous, as she was _very_ late for work and her Uncle Brent must be trying to keep up with the fast pace of customers coming in and out the shop all by himself. She cursed herself inwardly.

"Stupid dream! Stupid contest! You made me stay up," Lucy said to no one since no one was around. She did not regret finding about the contest, though. It was a big ticket to her dreams.

Lucy glanced quickly at her wrist-watch and realized that she was fifteen minutes late. _Uncle is going to kill me this time. I'm sure of it._ She was running desperately now. She felt her quickly applied make-up peeling of her face. _I spent time to apply make-up and now it's all ruined._ Lucy sighed.

Lucy shivered as a sudden coldness seeped into her skin and the whole place she was running through registered in her mind, as well as the smell. She hated going through that alley. It was narrow, dark, dirty and it stank. Totally stank. You could not even describe the smell of it through words. Creepy shapes and shadows danced on the graffiti-stained walls. It seemed like there were strange creatures lurking around every corner, waiting to pounce at her…

"Eek!" She screamed. A rat skittered between her feet and disappeared into a nearby dumpster.

"Whoa, calm down, Lucy. It was just a rat," Lucy said as she clutched her chest and felt her heart slamming away in her ribcage.

She was about to resume her marathon running when a voice suddenly rang throughout the alley. A slurry voice but it unmistakably belonged to a male. "What rat, Miss?"

A guy suddenly stepped out of the shadows and turned to face her. She gasped at the sight of him. He was carrying a now empty bottle of beer. He was obviously drunk…and drugged maybe? His eyes were bloodshot, his hair wavy and untrimmed that tumbled along his shoulders. His beard was not shaven as well and it reached his chest. He looks really dirty and filled with grime. He had a ghastly smile that did not make his face any friendlier. But what was most unsettling was his smell. Lucy immediately covered her nose when his smell reached her.

"Now, what is a pretty lady doing in the middle of a dark alley, alone, and knowing that it's dangerous out here for pretty girls like her?" he asked and his ghostly grin grew wider.

He took a step towards her and Lucy immediately took a step back. As much as she was afraid, she wanted to look brave in front of him so she held her head up high and struggled to erect her posture even if she wanted to cover her body so bad.

"I-I'm late for w-work. So I t-took a sh-shortc-ut," Lucy said. She immediately became frustrated when her own voice rang inside her ears. She did not sound as brave as she wanted to appear.

"Really?" the man rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Why don't you forget about your stupid work and come with me? I'll pleasure you for the day."

She was not dumb to not know what he was talking about. Lucy was shaking.

He took a few steps towards her and Lucy took a few steps back, as well. She wanted to run away so bad that it hurt but she knew she could not outrun the man. And she saw something glinting in his jacket as a small patch of daylight struck it. Deadly and sharp.

Just as she was about to make a run for it even if her mind protested a million times, a voice, clear and true and daunting, rang in her ears. Not hers. Not the man's. Somebody else's.

"Lay a finger on her and I'll beat you to a pulp," the guy said. _Guy?!_

Then, a figure followed by another figure moved in the shadows. Lucy got paralyzed by fear. There were more of them! But they would not do any harm to her if they said they would beat the man up if he'd touch her, right?

"Who are you?" the man said, squinting into the darkness.

The two figures moved forward and Lucy immediately recognized two very familiar faces.

"Natsu! Gray!" she exclaimed incredulously.

"Hey there, Lucy," Natsu said and flashed her a quick grin.

Gray pulled Lucy towards him. "You stay behind our back, Lucy. Let us deal with this punk," Gray said to her and pushed her behind them. Lucy stood there and watched the scene.

"Teenagers?" the man said. "You gonna save little missy here?"

" _And_ we'll kick your butt," Natsu said.

The man was about to hit Natsu with his empty beer bottle when Natsu quickly dodged and punched the man in the stomach. The man doubled over and was about to charge again when Gray kneed him in the stomach. The man was on his knees.

"Let's get out of here," Gray said.

Natsu took Lucy by the arm and they started running but Lucy suddenly paused. "Wait…" she said and ran back to the man. She then kicked his sensitive area and ran back to them. "Serves you right, jerk!"

"Bitch!" the man yelled. Lucy heard him groaning and cursing.

"Was that really necessary?" Gray asked as they were running.

"Yes," Lucy replied matter-of-factly.

They were out of breath as they reached the ice cream shop. They were panting and breathing heavily and their clothes clung to them with sweat. Before they could enter, the shop door opened and Brent was running towards them with a worried look on his face.

"Where have you been?" Brent asked worriedly as he held Lucy's shoulders tight.

Lucy was shocked, tired and out of breath that she could not answer.

"You were right. She used the shortcut and a drunken man tried to harm her. Gray and I were already there before he could do anything," Natsu answered for her.

"Wait…" Lucy said, panting. "What do you mean…that Uncle Brent…was right?"

"I was very worried since you still were not here and it was thirty minutes passed the start of your shift. I tried calling you but you weren't picking up. I wanted to look for you but customers started arriving and I couldn't leave the shop. Then, Fairy Tail arrived. Natsu and Gray volunteered to look for you but they couldn't find you anywhere on the street or in your apartment so I suggested they try the shortcut. Oh, goodness heavens they've found you," Brent said and hugged Lucy really tight.

As Brent hugged Lucy, she mouthed a "thank you" to Natsu and Gray. They just nodded at her and smiled.

"Wait, who's manning the cash register, then? And serving the food?" Lucy asked, panic starting to build up in her.

"Oh, don't worry. It's under control," her uncle said and winked at her.

Brent pushed the door open. Lucy was greeted with the familiar sweet scent of ice cream and the pink and purple painted walls. Her eyes adjusted and she realized that there were lots of customers sitting on the tables.

She was even more shocked when she saw Erza wearing a cap and sunglasses behind the cash register.

"Here you go," Erza said happily as she handed over the change to the customer.

Erza looked up from the cash register and noticed them come in. "Hey, Lucy. Glad you're ok," Erza said.

"E-erza? Y-you're manning the cash register?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, I've never thought that it would be this fun!" she exclaimed.

Suddenly, something blue darted past her.

"Happy!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Shh! someone would recognize him," Gray said and scowled at her.

Lucy understood and nodded at him.

"Hi there, Lucy!" Happy said as he just finished serving ice cream to a group of teenagers. Like Erza, he was also wearing a disguise. Nerd glasses and a mustache. Cool.

"Hello, Happy!" Lucy happily said.

"Lower your voice! I just said someone might recognize him," Gray whispered and his scowl deepened.

He shifted his gaze at something behind Lucy. She followed his gaze and saw the customers staring at them in a dumbstruck way. Some whispered amongst themselves. Others stole quick glances and looked at them at the corner of their eye.

Most of them were staring at Natsu and Gray. Happy just darted by carrying a tray of ice cream. Erza is really noticeable even behind the cash register. So what if they get recognized? The fans would just get autographs.

"We're not wearing any disguises, Gray," Natsu said. "And you're naked."

Gray looked down at himself. His perfectly sculpted abs greeted him. He looked back at the teenagers staring at him. They were all girls. No wonder they seemed like they were drooling.

"You're right. The best thing we do is take an orderly exit from the ice cream shop," Gray said.

Just as they were turning to leave, screaming fans suddenly came running up to them. "Kyaa! Natsuuuuuu! Graaaaaaay!"

"Run," Gray said.

Natsu nodded. "I am not dumb, you idiot," Natsu replied.

Then, they ran for their lives. Gray pulled Erza from the cash register.

"Wait! Who's going to man the cash register without me?" Erza said and hugged the cash register.

Seeing her resistance, Gray tugged at her harder. "Lucy will take care of it. Now, if you want to get run down by a pack of screaming fans, well suit yourself."

Erza understood and let go of the counter. Because of all the tugging and pulling, her sunglasses fell off her face. "IT'S ERZAAAAAA!"

Gray and Erza yelped. "Natsu, hurry!"

Natsu snatched Happy out of the air just as he was returning to take another order. "Come on, Happy!"

"IT'S HAPPY! AWW, HE LOOKS SO CUTE!"

"Run!" Natsu shouted.

Happy clutched Natsu and they flew away. Erza and Gray ran for their lives.

"Bye, Lucy! Bye, Uncle Brent," they managed to say as they ran for their lives.

A crowd of screaming fans trailed behind them. "It's Fairy Tail! Catch them!"

Lucy managed to smile and wave at them. She looked around the shop. In a blink of an eye the shop became deserted and really, really messy.

"Oh well. Time to clean up," Brent said. He grabbed a mop from the supply closet.

Lucy grabbed a towel and wiped the tables.

"No, Lucy. Let me do the cleaning. You should rest. You've been through a lot," Brent said.

"No, it's ok, Uncle. I can manage," Lucy said and gave him a bright smile.

Now that she thought of it, her first few hours have been a whirlwind of activities. It was dangerous, thrilling yet very fun. Lucy sighed. She got to be with Fairy Tail again.

A big grin was plastered onto her face even after she got home.

She ate lunch, washed the dishes, did the laundry, and cleaned the house. By the end of her chores, she was very exhausted.

Lucy wiped her sweat that trickled on her forehead.

"Phew, I feel so tired," Lucy said.

She washed up and lied down on her bed. Her eyelids became very heavy and she fell asleep.

Lucy woke up with a yawn. She sat up and stretched. She looked at her clock. It read 4:00 pm. She slept for an hour. She was still very sleepy, though.

Suddenly, the band contest popped into her head.

"The contest! I almost forgot about it," she said excitedly and opened her laptop.

She opened the Fairy Tail website and saw an update on the band contest. It said that you can do it with a friend. Upon knowing this, she immediately called Levy to come over. Levy said yes.

Soon, Levy arrived heaving a huge and very heavy big.

"Hi, Levy!" Lucy excitedly said.

Levy was panting as she heaved her stuff up the stairs. "Why…did you…have…to…make me…bring…all of…this?!"

"Don't worry. It's going to be worth it," Lucy said and helped Levy up the stairs.

They immediately entered her bedroom and Lucy showed Levy the contest.

"Oh my god!" Levy squealed with excitement. "How come I don't know about this?"

"They just posted it last night. _And_ it says you could do it with a friend," Lucy said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Sure! That's like, already a yes even if you haven't even asked yet," Levy said and they laughed.

The mechanics said that the first thing you should is sign up, which Lucy already did. Lucy signed up again and added Levy as her pair. Then, you take a photo of everything you own that is related to Fairy Tail.

Lucy immediately took out her posters, Fairy Tail albums, CD's, shirts, you name it. She has hundreds of them.

Levy also took out hers from her huge bag. They placed them on Lucy's bed and hung up more posters on her bedroom wall. They had to make them all fit somehow.

After they were finally satisfied, Levy took a picture of them. They took a selfie as well.

They checked out the pictures. "My bedroom looks like it vomited Fairy Tail stuff," Lucy said.

They both grinned goofily.

Lucy scrolled down her laptop and read the next steps. Next, you have to answer a fifty-item quiz about Fairy Tail. They answered everything without a sweat.

Lucy pressed 'SUBMIT'. "Piece of cake," Levy said.

The page opened back to the mechanics page. The last thing you have to do is make a sixty-second video featuring Fairy Tail, why you love them and why you should win.

An idea lighted up in Lucy's head. "Why don't we go to all the Fairy Tail places we know? Then we like take short videos of our bedrooms and other stuff. And we just mash them up together?"

"Sure!" Levy agreed. Lucy changed and they set out.

They covered all the Fairy Tail places around the city. They bought more stuff along the way. Then, they ate dinner at their favorite pasta place.

Afterwards, they went to Levy's place and shot a scene in her bedroom. They ate the cookies her mom made and went back to Lucy's apartment.

They shot one last scene at Lucy's bedroom.

Lucy and Levy edited the video. They cut a few scenes, added some more and mashed them up. They played the video.

"Wow. There's so much you could do in sixty seconds," Levy said.

They were very satisfied with the video so they submitted it. They were going to find out the results 2 weeks later.

"I hope we win," Lucy said, fingers crossed.

"Yeah. That prize is huge!" Levy said, her eyes twinkling.

They slept that night wishing and dreaming that they win that huge prize.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey! Sorry it took quite a while for me to post this chapter. School has been very hectic and time management is really not my thing. Anyways, thanks to all my readers who are still reading this, to my followers on Twitter and to the people who gave this story a chance. I am forever grateful.**

 **Catch the next chapter soon! Xoxo**

 **Lots of love,**

 **rock-glamour-animeroxx211**


	4. Chapter 3: Not Quite the Winners

Chapter 3: Winners…Not Quite

Lucy and Levy sat side by side on Levy's bed, viciously devouring a bag of chips and anxiously staring at the television.

Lucy slept over at Levy's house last night. It was a Saturday night and Lucy had no work for tomorrow so they stayed up late, listened to music (mostly Fairy Tail songs) and talked about random stuff, the way you talk to your best friend about just anything without getting bored. They woke up late the next day, feeling groggy and light-headed. That did not stop them from waiting for Fairy Tail's big announcement, though. That was exactly the reason why they planned the sleep over. And now, that they knew that they were going to find out who the winners were, they were very nervous and jittery.

Lucy kept reaching for the bag of chips. She made them her comfort food. She also kept on biting her nails until they were reduced to bleeding stubs.

Levy was tapping her foot nervously against the foot of her bed. She also kept clenching and unclenching her fist. Her nails dug deeper into her palm until it left marks on her skin.

They jumped up from the bed as a familiar opening song blared from the TV. Lucy's hand jerked away causing the chips to scatter on the floor. Levy kicked the foot of her bed hard. They both made an irritated sound.

The song kept on playing. Then suddenly, Erza's face popped into the screen.

"Uwaa! It's here!" They both screamed and held each other tightly while never taking their eyes off the screen.

"Thank you to the millions of fans who joined the contest! Honestly, we didn't think that it would be this many. We were overwhelmed," Erza said and flashed a big smile at the camera.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! It's Erza!" Levy exclaimed.

Behind Erza, other Fairy Tail members, Natsu, Happy and Gray were waving and smiling at the camera.

"We took a very close look at all your videos and we all really liked them. We all appreciate your efforts and your love and support for our band. There was one video that that really stood out, though. And now for the winner…" Erza said while someone handed Natsu an envelope.

Natsu opened the envelope and took the paper out. It felt like years just waiting for him to take it out.

"The winner is…" Natsu trailed off as the drum rolls began.

No, it seemed like centuries.

"Oh, say it already!" Lucy screamed at Natsu although he could not hear her.

"Bestfriends, Lucy and Levy!" Fairy Tail said in unison. "Congratulations!"

Lucy and Levy felt like they almost died. They could not believe what they had just heard. Then, they saw their names flash in the screen and their own video. They stared at each other in awe and slowly they broke into huge grins.

"Yes! We won! We actually won," Lucy and Levy screamed and did a crazy victory dance.

They both threw the chips high into the air like they were confetti. They ran around the room and jumped like idiots. The celebration abruptly stopped when Gray's voice boomed out of the TV this time.

"Congratulations again to Lucy and Levy," Gray said. "You guys win $1000 each and you get to join us on our tour for five days."

"A thousand dollars, Levy! Just think how much we could buy with that," Lucy said happily.

"I know right!" Levy said and they jumped up and down on Levy's bed.

"Congrats, Lucy and Levy!" said Happy and floated around the camera.

"Hey don't hog the camera for yourself, Happy," Natsu said and tackled Happy out of the air and out of the camera's view.

"Well, that's all, folks," Erza said. "And Lucy, let's meet up at the ice cream shop, okay?"

Then, the announcement ended and was replaced by Fairy Tail singing one of their rock songs.

"I can't believe we actually won, Lucy!" Levy said.

"Me too, Levy," Lucy said. "Let's go shopping. We need to look for something good to wear while we're on tour with Fairy Tail."

"That actually sounded like we're part of the band," Levy said and giggled.

"Let's go then!" Lucy said with her fist in the air and feeling very determined.

"Um…" Levy said. "Can you please help me clean my room up first? My mom is so going to kill me when she sees this."

Lucy and Levy both stared and took in the full view of Levy's bedroom. Levy's room was just right for her. The walls were painted blue and most of the room was taken up by bookshelves that were filled to the brim. Levy's bed was just big enough for both her and Lucy to fit in. Now, the sheets were all tangled up, the bed was moved nearer to the television and pillows and chips littered the floor.

"Yes, I agree. We should clean your room up first," Lucy said.

Levy turned her stereo on and a Fairy Tail song called You Only Care When I'm Away blared through the speakers. It was an upbeat and catchy song. That really got them into the mood.

 _You're annoyed when I'm around_

 _You push me away and I tumble down_

 _I'm sick of this love story_

 _I wanna get away_

"This is awesome!" Lucy said and danced to the beat.

"Yeah!" Levy said and sang along.

They finished cleaning up and ate a hasty breakfast. Levy told the good news to her mother and grandmother. They congratulated them and told them to be careful while they were away. Then, they went shopping at a nearby mall. They chose cute outfits where they looked good and feel comfortable.

"Okay, where to?" Levy asked and took a huge bite from her burger.

They were done shopping and they bought burgers and fries and sat down at a bench in the park. They were both exhausted from going around so they decided to sit down for a while.

"Hmm…I don't know," Lucy said absent-mindedly as she stared at her surroundings.

A breeze blew in and made Lucy's hair fly in her face. It blocked her view momentarily. She struggled to remove her hair from her face. As she finally did, her eyes adjusted to the view.

The park was beautiful. The trees made it cool and shady even if it was really hot. The flowers were at their best and were very beautiful to look at. The smell of food wafted in her nose. Children were running around happily as their parents were trailing behind them.

Lucy closed her eyes as a sense of peace enveloped her.

"Lucy?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you think would happen while we're with Fairy Tail?"

"I honestly don't know. Well, it's not like I can predict the future or anything. But I bet we would have a blast," Lucy said.

"I sure hope we do," Levy said.

A peaceful and calm silence came between them. Just as Lucy was about to fall asleep, Levy suddenly spoke.

"Lucy, didn't Erza say that we should meet them at the ice cream shop?"

"Oh my gosh, I almost forgot! Let's go, then. They're already probably waiting for us," Lucy said.

They both gathered their things and rode a cab to the ice cream shop. As expected, Fairy Tail was already there waiting for them. A few customers were also there, gaping at Fairy Tail. They took pictures. Some even asked for autographs and Fairy Tail politely agreed. They didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, winners!" Happy happily greeted them after the last fan thanked him for the autograph.

"Congratulations for winning the contest," Erza said.

"Thanks, guys," Lucy said while Levy stood there like she got turned to stone.

"By the way, this is my best friend, Levy. She has always wanted to meet you guys but time doesn't seem to be agreeing with you," Lucy said.

"H-hi," Levy said and blushed.

"I'm glad we finally got to meet you. I'm Gray," Gray said and held out his hand to shake Levy's.

Levy slowly shook Gray's hand. "H-hi…Um, I-I already know you."

"Of course, you do. But don't treat us like we're gods are something. Treat us like we're your friends. By the way, I'm—"

"—Erza." Levy finished. "Y-you're so down to earth!"

Erza gave Levy a warm smile.

"Aye, I'm Happy!" Happy said and clung to Levy's arm. "Do you have some fish?"

"Hi, H-happy. S-sorry...I don't have any um..f-fish," Levy said and laughed nervously.

"It's okay, Happy. I'll bring you tons while we're on tour," Natsu said.

Happy's eyes instantly twinkled. "Really?"

"Yeah! Different kinds of fish," Natsu said and held out his hand to Levy. "Natsu, by the way."

Levy shook his hand. "It's nice meeting all of you, at last. I used to just stare at you on TV and listen to your songs. Now, I actually got to meet you guys!"

Fairy Tail smiled warmly at the two of them.

"How about let's buy some ice cream first?" Lucy suggested.

"Sure! That would be awesome," Gray said.

"Ice cream's on me," Natsu suddenly said out of the blue.

"Seriously, Natsu?" Gray challenged.

"What? You think I won't do it?" Natsu asked.

"Nooooo~ Or else you won't have enough money to buy me fish," Happy said and everyone laughed.

Lucy helped get the ice cream ready even if she has no work for that day. As they were waiting, Fairy Tail talked to Levy.

"So how did you and Lucy meet?" asked Erza.

"We actually met because of Fairy Tail," Levy said.

"Because of us?" Gray asked curiously.

"Yes."

 **Flashback…**

"I finally found it! After all this time, you were just lying around here feeling neglected. But do not worry! Levy is coming to pick you up!" Levy exclaimed and ran inside the store. She even bumped into people and she hastily apologized to them as she made her way to the CD that was waiting for her.

Earlier, she was peering at a limited edition Fairy Tail CD about the band's last tour from outside the store. She was looking for it for weeks. Now, she can almost taste victory. Almost.

Her big triumphant smile vanished from her face when she saw that a blonde girl was already holding the CD.

"Oh no, I've been looking for that for weeks!" Levy exclaimed and immediately approached the girl.

"Hey, um, can you please hand over the CD? I want to take a look at it," Levy said.

The blonde girl looked at her. She was extremely pretty. "Sorry, but I'm looking at it as well."

Levy started to get irritated. She was not usually like this but she is already so desperate and tired.

"Please, miss, I've been looking for that for weeks. Please," Levy pleaded. She was on the verge of crying.

"Whoa, miss. Don't cry. I was just looking at it but I have no intention of buying it. I already have one at home. Here you go," the blonde girl handed Levy the CD.

"Are you serious? You're not going to buy it? If you already have one, why are you still looking at it?" Levy asked as she struggled to keep herself from squealing.

"Easy on the questions, miss," Lucy said and chuckled. "Yes, I'm serious. No, I have no intention of buying it. And I was just wondering why nobody has bought that CD yet. It's limited edition."

"Oh…" Levy said and blushed. She felt embarrassed that she actually got a little mad at the blonde girl.

"I'm glad to meet another fan. I'm Lucy. What's your name?"

"Levy."

 **End of Flashback…**

"Now she's my best friend ever," Levy said.

"That's cool. I'm glad we got to touch your lives through a CD," Natsu said.

Lucy suddenly approached them with a tray full of ice cream. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Lucy," They said.

Lucy took a seat beside Levy.

"So what were you guys talking about?" Lucy asked.

"Levy told us about how you two became friends," Happy said.

"Oh yeah…I actually meant to make her a little irritated. She was so desperate for that CD," Lucy laughed.

"Lucy!" Levy glared at her but they both laughed.

"She was also really jealous of me because I always get to be around you guys but she's never seen you personally," Lucy said.

"Well now, you get to come with us on tour!" Natsu said.

"Aye, you'll see different fish!" Happy said.

"Yes, let's not forget that," Lucy said and laughed.

"So about the tour, it will start three days from now. Every day we'll be going to different countries all across the world so it will be very exhausting. But of course we wouldn't miss the chance of sightseeing," Erza explained.

"Aye!" Happy said.

"You guys will only be with us for 5 days. Then, you'll ride a plane home. It's all arranged so don't worry," Gray said.

"And here's the money you won," Natsu said and handed Lucy and Levy $1000 each. "You decide what to do with that."

"Thanks! This is awesome. We can't wait to go on tour with you," Levy said.

"Yes, it makes us feel like we're really a part of Fairy Tail," Lucy said.

All four of the Fairy Tail band stared at each other with those knowing looks of theirs. They looked at Lucy again and gave her sad smiles.

"You still are…" Natsu said quietly, just loud enough for Fairy Tail to hear but low enough for Lucy and Levy to hear since they were at the other side of the table.

"What was that?" Lucy asked.

"Nothing," Natsu replied hastily.

Lucy got a feeling that something was wrong but she immediately forgot about it when Natsu grinned that goofy grin of his again.

"Hope we have fun together!" Natsu said.

"We will!" Levy said.

 **Three days later…**

"Hurry up, Lucy! We'll be late for our flight," Levy said and pulled Lucy out of bed.

"Fine! I'm up, okay?" Lucy said though she was still very sleepy.

Levy slept over at Lucy's apartment and they both got ready for their flight with Fairy Tail. They were both so excited last night that they did not get enough sleep. Now, they both looked like zombies. But that would not stop their excitement. This was a once in a life time opportunity. And they were not going to miss it.

They took a cab to the airport. When they arrived, Fairy Tail was already there with their manager, stylists and other people who were a part of the Fairy Tail team. People welcomed them, checked a few stuff and ushered them towards Fairy Tail.

"Good morning! Sorry we're late," Levy said. "Lucy wouldn't get out of bed."

"No, it's fine. They're doing last-minute checks on the plane," Gray said.

"See? We arrived at the last minute," Levy said.

"Don't get mad at me. I just want to sleep badly right now," Lucy said and groaned.

They were going to ride a private plane. It was small, just enough to hold them. And it looked safe to ride on.

As Lucy kept staring at the plane, at Fairy Tail with their bags beside them and people milling around them, a sense of familiarity washed over her. A picture suddenly flashed in her head.

Her head started pounding, her body started shaking and cold sweat trickled down her forehead as a big wave of fear enveloped her. She clutched her bag to avoid falling. She viciously shut her eyes in the hopes of shutting everything out.

"Lucy, are you okay?" Levy asked and Lucy caught a glimpse of her best friend's worried expression.

"Head…hurts," was all Lucy could say.

"Hey, could someone bring a doctor here?" A voice she thought belonged to Erza said.

Just as she thought that she could not take it anymore, her grip on her bag loosened and she felt herself falling. Before she could hit the ground, a pair of muscular arms caught her. She heard voices screaming, asking for help. Then, she slipped out of consciousness and darkness enveloped her.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello! Are there still people who are reading this? Sorry for the really long update. I am so sorry. And sorry for always saying sorry but anyway…sorry LOL XD Thanks for still reading this and for waiting for my update. Follow me on Twitter BrielleSilver and DM me if you want to be a part of the story. Thanks again, readers!**

 **XOXO,**

 **Rock-glamour-animeroxx211**


	5. Chapter 4: Cancelled

**Chapter 4: Cancelled**

Voices. She could hear voices. Angry, raised voices were whispering. She guessed there were many of them.

"Now what?! Your concert has been cancelled! The fans are freaking out and bashing you guys on the Internet!" said a man's voice.

She heard someone reply but she could not hear him because he kept his voice low. More whispering.

Lucy gently opened her eyes. She squinted through the blinding white light and realized it was coming from an open window. She was lying down on a bed with white sheets. The room was white as well. The chilly air made Lucy shiver. By instinct she brushed her hands over her arms and realized that there was a needle in her wrist. She was hooked up to an IV.

All of the stuff she had seen added up in her fuzzy mind. The first word that she registered was hospital. She was in a hospital. She hated hospitals. She felt that death lingered in every corner of it. It reminded her of sickness, mourning and death.

She tilted her head. There was a table next to her with a glass of water and some fruits. She tried sitting up but her head throbbed with pain and she was forced to lie down again.

"Lucy! You're awake," a voice said. She realized it belonged to Erza.

There was a muffled noise and immediately Levy and the four members of Fairy Tail approached her hospital bed with worried and relieved looks.

"How are you feeling?"

"Are you still hurt?"

"Do you want something to eat?"

"Are you okay now?"

"Would you like to drink some water?"

The five of them assaulted her with questions that she could not make out because they all talked at once. The sudden noise made Lucy's head throb again. She put a hand to her head and grimaced.

"Quiet, everyone!" said Natsu.

The room suddenly fell silent. The silence was somehow uncomfortable for Lucy.

"I'll call the doctor," Gray said and left the room. The door creaked shut behind him.

"How are you feeling, Lucy?" Happy said softly.

Lucy slowly opened her eyes and stared at Happy. She smiled weakly at him. "I'm fine, Happy. My head just throbs a bit and my mind is a little fuzzy."

"That's good. You should have some more rest. We were all worried about you," Levy said.

"Why, Levy? Wh-what happened?" Lucy asked, a confused expression written all over her pretty face.

The remaining four of them looked at each other with nervous looks. Neither of them replied. The uncomfortable and awkward silence returned. Natsu shifted on his feet. Happy flew around the room in circles. Levy stared down at her hands and started biting her nails. A gesture Lucy recognized that meant she was nervous. She stared at them but no one returned her gaze. It was Erza who decided to speak up.

"We were at the airport. Then, Levy and I noticed you started to look green and pained. I immediately called a doctor but before he arrived you already fainted. Good thing Natsu caught you before you fell," Erza said.

Lucy's eyes widened with shock. "I-I fainted?"

"Yes."

Lucy shut her eyes and tried hard to remember what had happened. They were at the airport. Everyone was ready. She and Levy were excited. Suddenly, she felt disoriented and a strange feeling washed over her. An image flashed in her mind. It was a blurry image with milky faces. Faces she could not make out. An image that haunted her dreams. Then, darkness enveloped her and she started falling. Before she could hit the ground, a pair of muscular arms caught her…

"Lucy! Are you okay? You're sweating and shaking," Natsu said. His voice snapped her out of her reverie.

Lucy immediately opened her eyes. She realized that Natsu was right. She was covered in cold sweat, shaking and clutching the sheets around her hard. She closed her eyes once more and sank back in her pillow.

The room door creaked open and Gray along with a doctor stepped inside. The doctor kindly asked them to step out of the room for a moment so that she could ask the patient a few questions. They obliged.

Lucy stared at them as they exited. Before the door closed behind them, she caught sight of a face with piercing eyes, a creased forehead and knit eyebrows yet she did not see who it belonged to. Still, she was sure he was someone she did not recognize. Was he in the room with them? Why had she not noticed him? And who was he?

Lucy tried to push all the questions out of her head and forced herself to look at the doctor. She guessed he was in his mid-forties. He had a warm smile that made Lucy feel comfortable. The doctor asked her a few questions and prescribed a few medicines.

"You should not stress yourself out too much. Get enough sleep and more rest," the doctor told her.

"Yes, doc."

"Is there anything you think that might have been the cause of your sudden headache and fainting? You said everything was fine until that happened."

The blurry image popped into her mind again. She was about to tell the doctor about it but decided otherwise and bit her tongue to keep herself from spilling. For some reason, she did not want to tell anyone about it yet. She had this strange feeling about it.

"Lucy?"

"No, doc. Maybe I just got a little too stressed and too excited," Lucy said and tried her best to make her sound truthful.

The doctor nodded. He wrote a few more stuff and handed a piece of paper to Lucy. "Here are all the medicines you'll need. Take this one every other day, after dinner for a week. And you'll be taking this one only when you feel like your head hurts again. It also helps reduce the possibility of fainting," the doctor said as he pointed to the words written on the paper.

"You may now be discharged but take plenty of rest. I've heard of that world tour you were supposed to be attending. You can come with them as long as you feel like you can, but don't get too stressed or excited," the doctor added.

"Yes, doc. Thank you," Lucy said.

"Good day, Lucy," the doctor said and stood up to leave the room.

Lucy did not listen that much but one thing the doctor had said had caught her attention. The _world tour._ Questions started forming in her head and she wanted to ask Fairy Tail so badly.

The door opened and Fairy Tail along with Levy stepped inside. The strange man was no longer there.

"Hey, the doctor said you can already be discharged. It means you're fine!" Levy said and hugged her best friend.

Lucy hugged her back but quickly pulled away. "Hey, Levy…"

"Yes?"

"What happened with the world tour?"

Levy's eyes widened and she quickly snapped her mouth shut. It seemed like she was stoned to place.

"Levy, don't lie to me, please. I heard you guys talking before you realized I was awake."

"Um…" Levy struggled to find the proper words to say. She tilted her head slightly and looked to Natsu for help.

Natsu nodded. "Everything is fine, Luce. Fans are super excited about it and so are we. I mean, think about all the places we'll be going to—"

Lucy cut him off. "Natsu, what day is it today?"

Natsu sighed. "Monday, 30th of August."

Natsu's words slowly started to sink in. They were supposed to leave last Saturday because their world tour is going to start on Monday… _Monday._

"Today is the first day of your world tour! Why are you guys still here?"

Her friends could not meet her gaze. She looked at each of them hopefully. A possibility started forming in her head. Surely they would not do that?

"Don't tell me you cancelled the first concert of your world tour for me?" Lucy asked and bit her lip. Before she could stop herself, she realized that she had already said it. She regretted saying it. She sounded so stupid. Why would Fairy Tail cancel their concert for her? Still, a part of her felt good if it was true.

No one answered her question. She hung her head and shook it slightly. Stupid, stupid, stupid, Lucy! She punished herself silently. Who was she for them to cancel their concert for? She just worked for their favorite ice cream shop. That's all she is! If so, why is Fairy Tail still here? Did they actually care for her?

"Yes. Yes, we did," Erza said calmly.

Lucy quickly raised her head and stared at her. She could not explain what she was feeling. "Are you serious, Erza?"

All of Fairy Tail nodded. Lucy drank in their faces. She could not seem to find a hint of sadness there despite having their tour cancelled.

Lucy felt happy. Fairy Tail cancelled their tour for her! All her pain and worries were whisked away. She was about to hug each and every one of them when she realized what this all meant. She suddenly felt sick again.

"Wait…what about the fans? What about your concert? What are they going to watch if you're not there?!" Lucy was hysterical.

Gray chuckled at her sudden outburst. "You seem more worried than we are, and we don't really worry that much."

"Yes, don't worry, Lucy. Didn't the doctor say it isn't good for you? We've got it under control," Happy said as he perched at the foot of her bed.

"You're not worrying? This is serious!" Lucy said and waved her hands in the air as if to emphasize the point.

Levy pushed her back to her bed and made her lie down. "Don't move too much. You're attached to an IV if you haven't noticed. And besides, Fairy Tail says they have got it under control. You of all people should know that we can trust them," Levy said.

Lucy closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about," Natsu said and grinned at her. "Oh, and we paid for the hospital bills so you could go home now."

"You paid for my hospital bills?" Lucy asked incredulously. "Oh, my gosh! Thank you so much! I will pay you back. I promise."

"You don't have to pay us back. We're not asking for it," Erza said.

"No, I have to. This is embarrassing. You cancelled your first concert just to take care of me and now I've learned that you even paid for my hospital bills. Let me pay you back. This is the least I could do," Lucy said.

"Don't sweat it. We don't want you to pay us back. This is a good deed from us to you. We're your friends," Gray said.

Lucy sighed. "Okay, if you say so."

"Now let's get you out of here," Natsu said and called for a few nurses.

The nurses assisted Lucy and she was discharged from the hospital. She could already walk on her own since her head started to feel okay but Levy kept an arm around her to steady herself. Lucy was very thankful she had very caring friends.

They stopped by at the hospital's drug store to buy the medicines Lucy needed. Lucy sighed. She always missed taking medicines. _I should add an alarm on my phone for this_ , she thought. She rummaged through her bag (which Levy brought for her) for her phone.

While checking her phone, she noticed Natsu stealing glances at her with that worried expression of his which he rarely wore. When Lucy turned to look at him, he looked away.

"Hey," Lucy said and poked him in the back.

She slowed down her pace and walked side by side with Natsu. They were a little behind the others.

"Hey. Are you okay now?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah," Lucy replied and flashed a wide smile at him. "Thanks for catching me when I fainted, by the way."

Natsu stared at her and gulped. His whole face tinged red, even his neck and ears. "No problem," he replied and scratched the back of his neck.

As they were walking out of the hospital, Fairy Tail started putting on disguises. Natsu put on a fake mustache and weird-looking eyeglasses. Erza wore a big hat and stuffed her hair in it. Gray wore big sunglasses and a three-piece suit. Yes, a three-piece suit. Happy pretended to be a normal, walking blue cat.

Lucy's eyes adjusted to the harsh glare of the sun as they stepped out of the hospital. She closed her eyes and breathed in the warm, fresh air. It seemed like ages. She suddenly felt Levy poking her stomach. Lucy looked at her and saw Levy pointing at a fancy-looking, sleek, black limousine parked in front of them. They wondered who it belonged to.

As Fairy Tail approached the limousine without showing any signs of stopping, Lucy and Levy realized it belonged to them. Natsu went in the limousine first, followed by Gray, then Erza that picked up Happy for the sake of normalcy. Levy and Lucy made no attempt of following inside.

"What are you guys waiting for? Hop in!" Natsu invited them.

Lucy and Levy looked at each other then a sort of understanding secretly passed between the two of them. They looked back at Natsu and shook their heads.

"We're fine. We'll take cab. We know you guys have many things to attend to," Lucy said awkwardly and elbowed Levy.

"Ow—I mean yes. Lucy is right. We're fine," Levy said and grinned at them.

"Are you sure?" Erza asked.

"Yes," Lucy and Levy said unison.

"Okay, then. Take care, you two. See you soon," Gray said.

The others said their goodbyes and Erza pulled the door close. The limousine's engine started and Lucy and Levy waved at them as the vehicle sped away.

They hailed a cab. Lucy stared out the window as they passed by different places around the city. She thought of everything that happened that day. She felt very thankful to have friends like Gray, Happy, Natsu, Erza and Levy who are so caring and helpful to her.

Lucy felt someone shaking her. She moaned in protest and hugged herself.

"I know you're tired, Lucy. But we need to get out of this cab. Unless you plan on sleeping here for the night," Levy said and shook her gently again.

Lucy moaned again but lazily opened her eyes. She realized that she had fallen asleep during the ride and that they had just arrived at her apartment. They got out of the cab and Levy kept her arm out to steady Lucy who was still half asleep.

After she opened the door to her bedroom, Lucy crashed in her bed and continued her interrupted sleep. Lucy heard Levy laugh at her before she lost consciousness once again.

"Lucy! Lucy! Wake up," Levy said and shook Lucy gently. Upon seeing that she was not moving, Levy shook her harder.

"Must you always shake me?" Lucy said grumpily but in a joking manner.

Levy laughed. "Come on, silly. This is important and it shall wake all your senses."

"What will?"

"Fairy Tail called earlier. They invited us to come with them to their world tour again!" Levy said excitedly.


	6. Chapter 5: Finally Happening

Chapter 5: World Tour

Levy was holding her by the shoulders and was shaking her but she sat there unmoving. Lucy could not move and breathe. She was too surprised. She just stared at Levy with big, wide eyes as lifeless as a doll.

"Did you hear what I just said? They invited us to their world tour again!" Levy exclaimed and shook her again slightly.

Lucy made no response. Her big eyes were wide with shock and her mouth hung open but no sound came out. She continued staring at Levy who was starting to get worried for her.

"Are you okay? Oh, no. You haven't taken your medicines yet! I'll get them for you," Levy said and turned towards the door.

Levy was surprised when she felt Lucy hold her hand to restrain her from going. "No, silly. One of my medicines should be taken after dinner and we haven't eaten dinner yet. Besides, I feel perfectly fine. Let's just say I got, I don't know, paralyzed with shock?" Lucy said and grinned at Levy to make her believe that she was alright.

Levy jumped back into Lucy's bed. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

A moment of silence passed by the two of them. For a few seconds all they did was stare at each other.

"Aaahh!" They both screamed, held hands and jumped up and down Lucy's bed.

"Oh, my gosh!" Lucy exclaimed. "They invited us to come with them?"

"Yes! They called earlier but they said it was fine if we couldn't go if you're still not feeling well," Levy said. "You are feeling well, aren't you?"

Lucy paused for a moment and thought well. "I honestly don't know. My head doesn't hurt anymore but maybe it would come back from time to time. Don't get me wrong. I would love to go, of course," Lucy said.

Levy stopped jumping and faced Lucy with a sad expression. "You know how much I'd love to go, Lucy. But I still care about your health. We could always tell them we can't go, you know," Levy said, eyes full of concern.

Lucy looked back at Levy with the same intensity and sighed. "I know," Lucy said. "You know, you could always go without me. I don't want you to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity just because of me."

Lucy felt Levy shake her head over her shoulder. "No, I won't go without you. We both won the contest remember? Besides, how can I take care of you when we're not together?"

Lucy felt so touched that she was close to tears. She hugged Levy tighter. "Thanks, best friend."

"No problem, best friend," Levy said. "So...when are we going to tell Fairy Tail? We can't keep them waiting any longer. They're going to set a new date for their world tour any moment now."

Lucy sighed. "I'm going to call them tomorrow."

"Good," Levy said and pulled away. "Now, let's have dinner. You can't take your medicine without having dinner first."

Lucy blew her bangs out of her eyes. "Thanks for reminding me," Lucy said as Levy pulled her out of bed.

Lucy could not help thinking about Fairy Tail's invitation during their dinner. She could not believe that they invited them again despite the fact that Lucy was the reason why the first concert of their world tour got cancelled and they got bashed on the Internet by the fans. She saw it on television. She felt guilty. Maybe they thought it was unfair for them since they won the contest and the fans might think of them badly even more...or maybe it was something else...

•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•

Lucy's hands were shaking visibly as she held Levy's phone. Fairy Tail was expecting their call any moment now to tell them their decision. She was about to do the exact same thing.

"Lucy, you're my best friend but please don't drop my phone!" Levy said and waved her hands frantically when Lucy almost dropped her phone.

"I'm sorry!" Lucy said and bit her lip. She did not know why she was so nervous. She was just going to call Fairy Tail and tell them their deision. It was a just a simple call but she was freaking out big time.

"I could call them if you're too chicken to do so," Levy said in a challenging manner.

"I'm not!" Lucy retorted. "It's just a phone call. In fact, I'm going to do it right now."

"You've been saying that for the past ten minutes," Levy muttered.

Lucy ignored her and brandished the phone around like it could do wonders before actually dialing the number Levy gave her.

She took a deep breath when she heard the ringing at the other line. A few more rings but nothing happened. She called again but to no avail. She breathed out a huge sigh of relief when she heard that the line was busy.

"The line is busy. I guess we could call them some other time or just leave them a message," Lucy said and handed Levy her phone.

"No. They're going to reschedule their world tour soon and they're trying to keep up with the demands of the fans. Plus, they personally want to hear from you. They are concerned with your health, missy," Levy said and crossed her arms. "We should meet up with them."

Lucy sighed and put her hands in the air, admitting her defeat. "Okay, fine then. Where?"

"I left them a message saying that we would meet up at the ice cream shop," Levy said.

"Wow. That fast, huh?" Lucy asked and was honestly surprised at Levy.

"Yes, of course. Let's get ready. We're going to meet them in two hours," Levy said and stood up to head to the bathroom.

Levy woke up early that morning and went home to take a few clothes with her. Her mother was very used to her sleeping over at Lucy's that she let Levy go with no hesitation. Lucy felt like Levy's home was her home and Levy felt the same about hers.

"We better hurry up. We should not keep Fairy Tail waiting, especially now that they're very busy," Levy said with her hands on her waist and looking at Lucy who was still fixing her hair.

"Okay, okay. I'm almost done," Lucy said.

"There," she said after she was finally finished and immediately grabbed her purse.

"Hey!" Lucy shouted at Levy who was already across the street. "Wait for me!"

Levy waited for Lucy to catch up with her and they walked side by side to the ice cream shop.

"Don't you have work today?" Levy asked as they weaved around the people milling around the streets.

"No. Uncle Brent let me take a few days off for me to rest," Lucy replied and ducked to avoid getting skewered by the huge sticks carried by a man on his shoulder.

Levy made a startled noise when she was almost hit by a food cart that was being pushed by a teenage boy. "Hey! Watch it, mister," Levy said and glared at the boy. The boy stuck his tongue out at Levy.

"I've never seen the streets this crowded," Levy said and dodged a ball that was hurtling straight towards her. "This is torture."

Lucy chuckled. "They're preparing for the festival. It's two weeks from now."

Lucy tripped when she accidentally stepped on a woman's foot. "Oh, sorry, dear. This is the third time today that somebody stepped on my foot. It must be in the way too much," said the woman and laughed.

Lucy guessed she was in her late thirties. She had a warm laugh, the kind that made you feel light. The woman was pretty. She had shoulder-length reddish brown hair that curled at the tips. She had rosy cheeks and her eyes sparkled.

"No, miss. It was my fault. I'm sorry," Lucy said and bowed her head.

The woman smiled at her. "It's okay," she said.

Lucy turned away from the woman. She caught the woman smile at her again from the corner of her eye before she disappeared into the crowd.

"What was that?" Levy asked as Lucy neared.

"I stepped on someone's foot. I apologized, of course."

Levy nodded. "Look, we're here."

Levy pushed the doors open and she stepped inside the ice cream shop first. Lucy followed behind her. A blast of chilly air and familiar furniture and walls greeted Lucy. She was surprised to see that the ice cream shop was filled to the brim.

"Hi, Lucy!" Her cousin Kendall said as he weaved through tables and gave the customers their ice cream.

"Hey, Kendall. Lots of customers today, I see," Lucy said and eyed the people in the shop.

"Yes. They're all here for the festival even if it's in two weeks," Kendall said and gave more customers their food.

"Uncle Brent's preparing the ice cream while I'm serving. It's a little stressful," Kendall said and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"I could help out today," Lucy offered.

"No, Luce. It's fine. I heard you got sick. Shouldn't you be resting out at home?"

"Yes, but we were supposed to be meeting some people here. I'm with Levy, by the way."

Kendall nodded at Levy and acknowledged her presence. "Well, I got to get back to work, Luce. Maybe we could talk some other time."

"Sure, Kendall."

"Lucy," Levy said and poked her when Kendall was out of earshot. "Do you see those people sitting by the window?"

Lucy diverted her attention to where Levy was looking at. She saw a couple of people huddled close together and they were whispering. Other than the fact that they were wearing jackets, hats and sunglasses on a hot day, they looked normal to Lucy.

"Yeah. What about them?"

"They're staring at us."

Lucy looked closer and saw that Levy was right. She squinted and saw a blue tail peek out of a small man's jacket. He quickly hid it and looked around to see if someone did. No one noticed except for Lucy.

"Hey, isn't that Fairy Tail?" Lucy asked and whispered the last two words as if it was some grave secret.

Levy nodded. "Yes, I think so too. Let's approach them."

As they both neared the table where the four mysterious people were sitting, the four of them suddenly stood up and gestured for them to follow. Lucy and Levy followed without hesitation.

Lucy saw her Uncle Brent throw her a questioning look. Lucy smiled at him to reassure him that everything was going to be fine. Her uncle nodded back at her.

They stepped out of the ice cream shop where a van waited for them. The four of them went in first followed by Lucy and Levy. After the door closed, Fairy Tail immediately removed their disguises.

"I felt like I was being cooked in there," Happy said and spread his wings.

Gray stripped off his remaining clothes including his shirt and revealed his perfectly sculpted body. "I never thought I would wear something so many," he said and ran his hands through his hair. "And I'm naturally hot which made the temperature rise higher."

Lucy and Levy blushed at Gray who winked at them. Natsu noticed it and gave Gray a punch to the head. "Yeah, dumb ass. Too bad I'm hotter which melted everything inside your head, which isn't much if you ask me."

Natsu and Gray both glared at each other and was about to wrestle each other to their deaths when Erza came between them and shoved each of them to the windows. Their faces stuck to the windows and made weird faces. Lucy and Levy laughed at them.

"Unlike you two, I keep a cool head," Erza said and let go of them.

Natsu and Gray massaged their sore cheeks while glaring at Erza.

"I didn't expect to have that many people earlier," Erza said, her gaze fixed outside the window were people were swerving to avoid getting hit by the van.

"The festival is nearing and the people are preparing for it," Lucy said.

"And our world tour is also nearing so we have to know what your decision is," Natsu said and threw Erza a hateful look.

Lucy and Levy looked at each other. Lucy nodded and sighed. She was the one who is going to tell them their decision. "W-we're..." Lucy took a deep breath. "...going."

There was a moment of silence. "Really?" Gray asked.

"Yes," Lucy and Levy both said.

"Well, you better start packing now. We're going to leave tonight," Gray said.

"Tonight?" Levy asked, surprised.

"Yes. Manager is rushing things. He wants to continue our world tour as soon as possible," Erza said.

Happy flew towards Lucy and settled on her lap. "We'll help you!"

"No, Happy. It's o—''

"Mr. Driver, please drive us to Lucy Heartfilia's residence," Natsu said while leaning close to the driver's seat.

"Okay, Natsu," the driver said and made a sharp turn.

The sharp turn made them all bunch up at the left side of the van.

"Ow! You're stepping on my foot, you bastard!" Gray shouted at Natsu.

Everyone returned to their usual seats but Natsu pretended not to hear Gray complaining.

"Hey! Do you hear me, Natsu?!" Gray shouted at Natsu who was not looking at Gray and was whistling.

"What?" Natsu said pretending to be oblivious.

"I said you stepped on my foot!"

"Really? I thought you were referring to a bastard, which I am not," Natsu said and made a face at Gray.

"What do you want then, Natsu? Do you want me to call you idiot? Because that would suit you perfec—"

Erza suddenly came between them and gave them both punches in the stomach. Their heads instantly fell back and they fell unconscious. "That should do the trick," Erza said, satisfied. Levy and Lucy surpressed their looks of concern and kept quiet.

Soon, they arrived at Lucy's residence and only Erza and Happy helped her pack since Natsu and Gray were still knocked out cold. Next, they went to Levy's house and helped her pack too. By the time that Natsu and Gray woke up, they were already done.

Then, they immediately drove to the airport, and just like last time, lots of other people were with them. Fans were crowding in the airport making it hard for them to pass through. Thankfully, they got through and were about to board their private plane.

Lucy was staring at the airplane and felt a familiar feeling pass over her once more. "I hope you won't faint again on us or else I'd have to catch you again," Natsu said.

Lucy chuckled because she was thinking of the same thing. They boarded the plane and got settled in their seats. Lucy was seating next to the window and she peered outside. She was sure she had already been on a plane though she did not remember it. Still, she felt excited and giddy as the airplane took off into the night sky.

She watched as the people and cars grew smaller and smaller until the people looked like ants and the cars looked like toy cars. The clouds obscured her view of ground and she felt as if she was very distant and remote from the life below.

She looked at her companions and saw that they were all asleep, except for Natsu who was looking very sick beside her. She shrugged and closed her eyes because she wanted to sleep as well.

Suddenly, she heard a horribe retching sound and felt something liquid and disgusting pour over her. Her eyelids instantly flew open and she was greeted by the sight of Natsu vomiting over her.

"Natsu!"


	7. Chapter 6: First Stop

Chapter 6: First Stop

" _ **Don't worry if you don't have a camera. Your eyes will capture the images, your ears will record the sounds, your nose will remember the scents, your mouth will cherish the tastes, your hands and feet will feel what you did and your brain will store all the memories.**_

 _ **-A.G. Castor**_

Lucy awoke to a voice from the speakers saying that they were almost there and also a few reminders. She straightened up and buckled her seatbelt like what they were told to do. She stretched and yawned. Lucy felt very sleepy, her body felt heavy and her head throbbed a little.

Lucy guessed it was her second time on a plane and on the first time she traveled shortly and in the country only. She was not used to the way the plane shook during turbulences, how the ride made you dizzy or how it was very uncomfortable taking a bathroom break with the plane moving and swaying. She remembered how she almost fell on her way to the restroom and she had to grip seats and walls for support. When she settled on her seat again, she was sweaty and dizzy. Erza saw her, though Lucy tried to hide it, and Erza suppressed her laughter.

Lucy felt her cheeks burn at the memory, and she peered outside the window to divert her attention. It was dark, for it was very late. In addition to that, it was cloudy. Lucy made a tiny noise of annoyance. She was hoping she could see the country they were going to or at least the stars, but it seems like she was not going to get any yet.

She slumped back in her seat and looked at her friends. Erza and Happy were asleep, Levy was reading a book—though she was very surprised how she could read and concentrate during the ride which made Lucy dizzy—while Gray kept on making jokes at Natsu who still firmly gripped a bag for him to vomit on.

Lucy remembered when Natsu vomitted all over her just at the start of their journey. She felt sorry for him but still she felt horrible. Natsu panicked and quickly apologized, but then made that kind of sound that meant that you were going to puke again. Lucy hurriedly stood up and left. She walked wobbly to the restroom and changed clothes, and tried to remove Natsu's vomit off her shirt. Since then, she sat three seats ahead of her former seat. She did not want to go over all that again.

They had dinner some time during the flight when a flight stewardess came in and pushed a cart filled to the brim with glorious food. Only Natsu did not eat. He was vomiting everything he ate and had to constantly stick a bag on his mouth. Gray, Levy and Erza also sat a considerable distance away from him. Even Happy did not dare perch on his shoulder.

Lucy stared at Erza's beautiful sleeping face and felt slightly jealous at her deep sleep. Lucy yawned again and wanted to go back to sleep when the clouds parted, no longer obscuring her view of below.

"Wow," she said. She finally caught a first glimpse of the country they were approaching. From their plane she could see its bright city lights, its tall buildings and its streets buzzing with life.

Lucy has not traveled much and now she was on a plane, to a country she has never been to, with her friends, on their world tour. It filled her insides with a warm feeling mixed with excitement, nervousness and curiosity. She took a deep breath and took it all in.

The plane swooped down—made Natsu puke again— and finally they had arrived at the airport.

Before they exited the plane, Fairy Tail's styling team made a few retouches on their make-up and faces for them to look refreshed, did their hair and made sure they looked okay. Lucy and Levy also wore caps and sunglasses to hide their faces as they did not want to be known to the public. Body guards lined up outside to ensure their safety.

Despite Natsu's being sick the whole ride, he was the first one to get off. Lucy bet he felt glad the trip was over. Suddenly, they were assaulted with cameras, blinding flashes, the paparazzi and dozens of screaming fans. The fans were asking for autographs, taking pictures, the paparazzi asked for interviews, yet Fairy Tail just smiled at them for they were too tired and in a hurry. The body guards made sure they went out orderly and with a lot of shoving and dodging, they managed to get outside with their whole team.

"Well, welcome to the Philippines, folks! The first stop on our world tour," Natsu said and grinned at their company. They did not reply but instead gave him half-smiles. "Man, it's so hot in here."

Lucy silently agreed. The moment they all stepped out of the plane, they started sweating profusely and kept wiping their foreheads. The Philippines had a tropical climate which meant it was naturally hot and they were not used to it a single bit.

Lucy tried to pull herself together despite feeling drowsy and groggy. It was 12 AM and she badly wanted to sleep. She looked over her friends and realized they must have felt the same thing. Erza had an irritated look on her face. Levy kept on yawning. Even Gray and Natsu were in no mood to bicker like the usual. Happy was flying in small sleepy circles around them. Yet out of all of them, Natsu looked the most excited and awake.

"Natsu seems pretty excited," Levy said to Lucy as they observed Natsu staring around with wide eyes and pointing stuff to Happy.

"Of course, he is," Lucy said and felt thankful for their conversation that kept her slightly awake. "Aren't you, Levy?"

Levy stifled a yawn. "Sure, I am. But I badly want to sleep more. I can't fall asleep in the plane so I read a book, but actually I didn't understand a single thing I read."

"At least you didn't get puked on," Lucy said and Levy laughed a small laugh. "I felt kind of sorry for Natsu, though. I didn't know his motion sickness is severe."

"Yeah," Levy said and wiped the sweat off her brow with her thumb. "It's so hot."

Lucy nodded. They were all wearing jackets earlier but she just realized that all of them took their jackets off already. She pulled her jacket off and tied it around her waist seeing as she had nowhere else to put it because her travel bag was in a separate vehicle."Oh man," she heard Natsu say and turned to him. "What's wrong, Natsu?"

Natsu pointed at the limousine they were going to ride on. "My relief was short-lived," Natsu said and made a gesture that looked like he was suffering. Maybe he was.

Lucy settled in her seat and Gray, Erza, Levy, Natsu and Happy did the same. The others got into vans. Their limo started and moved. Her eyes were drooping and she fought to stay awake. The others were half-asleep as well.

In the middle of the dead silence, Lucy heard Natsu say, "I don't have a barf bag with me."

That shook everyone awake. They scrambled to find a plastic bag, anything that he could vomit in. Natsu was trying to hold it in and was already looking green.

At the last moment, Gray shoved a plastic bag to Natsu's face. He immediately vomited. Everyone looked away or looked out the window and tried to ignore the horrible retching sounds he was making.

Soon, they arrived at a hotel and crashed into the rooms Fairy Tail's manager had booked for them. Lucy shared with Erza and Levy a large room with three beds, a television set, a walk-in closet, floor-to-ceiling windows which you could open and step out to watch the view from the balcony and a restroom, all topped with elegance; she did not have time to look around and admire it because the instant she crashed into her bed, she immediately fell asleep.

"I know we've been superstars for a long time, but I will never get used to waking up this early," Natsu said and yawned.

Emmy who took care of Fairy Tail's schedule—concerts, interviews, guestings, album signings, band practice—and made sure they were never late for them, squeezed between the stylists and people milling around Fairy Tail with a hand on her waist and the other clutched a blue clipboard.

"May I remind you Mr. Dragneel, you have a press conference at 8 AM, a guesting at a live variety show at 12 PM, an interview at 3 and you need to practice for your concert on Sunday. So yes, you need to wake up early, and get used to it, superstar," she said with a bossy tone but Fairy Tail did not mind. They had worked with Emmy for years and they knew she tended to stress out when the schedule is tight-which always is. In fact, she worried more than Fairy Tail themselves.

"Emmy, could you give us our schedule for tomorrow?" asked Erza as they walked towards her closet with her outfit stylist.

"Yes, Miss Scarlet. Wait a second," said Emmy and looked at her clipboard.

"Okay. So we are going to choose your outfit for the press conference later..." said Erza's wardrobe stylist and showed Erza her picks. They examined the outfits laid out and chose suitable ones.

"Excuse me, Miss Scarlet. You have to arrive at the concert venue by 1 PM, last band practice and check-ups at 1:30 to 3 o'clock, then hair and make-up and wardrobe at 4. The concert starts at 6," said Emmy and tapped her clipboard with a pen after every item.

Erza momentarily took her eyes off the clothes she was rummaging through. "No morning appointments?"

Emmy scanned her clipboard and shook her head slightly. "No, Miss. Manager wanted you to relax."

Erza smiled. "Okay, thanks, Emmy. Please inform Natsu, Happy and Gray. We don't want to miss anything. Oh, and make sure they're not fighting for me, okay?"

Emmy inclined her head. "Yes, Miss," she turned to walk away but paused at the doorway. "That looks cute on you, by the way."

Erza stared at the outfit she was holding and smiled back to Emmy. "Thank you, Emmy."

Erza ended up wearing the one Emmy thought was cute. It was, really. It was a kind of black Lolita outfit, with ruffles and a black pleated skirt. It had long sleeves which formed a kind of vest and it was buttoned just below her breasts, which was impractical since it was scorching hot but for the sake of fashion she wore it, and the sleeves belled out at her wrists. There was also a fake white collared blouse attached to the vest which made it look like she was really wearing a blouse underneath. She had her scarlet hair tied up with a black bow, but left a few strands loose which framed her lovely face. To top it off, she wore thigh-high, stiletto-heeled, black boots that looked like they were ready stomp anyone who came in her way. They made her look sweet yet bad ass. She was a rocker and yet still a girl, after all.

She stepped out of the dressing room and saw the others were ready as well. Gray wore a dark blue, buttoned-up, long-sleeved, collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and matched with black pants and black shoes that looked expensive. His dark, raven hair gleamed, and his silver necklace winked at her just at the base of his collar. He looked good, but Erza knew he had a habit of stripping—causing their female fan base to faint—and soon the expensive top would be off him. He had a nice, sculpted body and the jerk knew it.

Erza turned to Natsu and was surprised they got him to wear something other than his usual clothes. He was wearing a thin, white shirt covered with a black, leather jacket and black boots. He was probably too sleepy to fight them off. His hairstylists only managed to tame his wild, pink hair—usually sticking around in all directions—just a little bit.

Happy had just flown into the room. He looked freshly scrubbed and clean. His blue fur looked cleaner and his white wings gleamed. Happy flew to Natsu and perched on his shoulder.

They looked certainly bad ass. Not particularly angels but not exactly demons. Erza realized they were all assembled in the middle of the room and looked like they were huddling but were not. "You guys ready?"

There was no answer. Instead they looked and grinned at each other.

They were certainly freaking ready.

Lucy felt the hot rays of the sun against her face. Lucy groaned and opened her eyes. She was assaulted with a harsh, bright light coming from outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. She caught a glimpse of billboards and tall buildings from her bed. At another time, she would have approached the balcony to savor the view, but not today.

She squinted as she stood up and hastily pulled to curtains together to hide from the sun's harsh glare. She plopped back on her bed and was planning to sleep again when a realization hit her. It was bright and the sun was already high up in the sky. It meant that it was already late in the morning. _Gosh, I overslept._

Lucy sat up, and while rubbing her eyes, reached for the bedside table for a brush because she was sure her hair was sticking up in all angles and she did not want anyone to see her like that. She groaned when she did not grab hold of anything, and then realized they had not unpacked last night. Erza and Levy had fallen asleep the minute they stepped into their room and laid on their bed like she did. _Speaking of Erza and Levy…_

She scanned their room. It looked expensive, pretty and huge, even for the three of them. Hers and Levy's travel bags were on the floor unopened. Someone probably sent them last night. She found Levy sleeping peacefully and still sprawled on the covers of her bed. Lucy looked for Erza but she was nowhere to be found.

There was a sudden soft knock on their door that jolted her awake. "Wait a second," she said and quickly changed out of her pajamas to some casual clothes, splashed some cold water on her face and brushed her teeth.

Another knock came, louder and more persistent this time. Lucy discreetly brushed her hair with her fingers as she walked towards the door. She pulled it open and saw a lady in her early twenties with dark brown hair and gray eyes flanked by two bodyguards on either side of the door. Lucy thought she saw her around Fairy Tail before.

The lady was wearing a green, off-shoulder blouse which matched the color of her eyes, dark jeans and sneakers that looked like they were made for running. She was holding a blue clipboard and looked a little annoyed.

"Yes?" Lucy asked.

"Hello, Miss Heartfilia. I'm Emmy Harrison. I keep track of Fairy Tail's schedule. I knocked about two times; the first was an hour ago and the second was thirty minutes ago. You may be surprised that Miss Scarlet isn't there anymore—it's 9:15 AM and they have a lot to do. It seems you overslept," Emmy said with a smile, but with a slight hint of annoyance in her tone that implied otherwise.

Lucy felt herself blush. "Oh, oh no, I'm sorry, Miss Harrison. It's just that we were so tired last night and—"

"You can have breakfast down at the restaurant along with your friend, Miss McGarden. Just tell them you're with Fairy Tail. I assume she is still asleep," Emmy said. "Fairy Tail will call soon. And I am instructed to come if you need help so if you ever need anything, tell the guards. They'll know where to find me."

"Yes, Miss Harrison. Thank you," Lucy said and shut the door after Emmy Harrison walked away, or should I say, _ran_ away. She was obviously in a hurry.

Lucy slumped against the door and felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment. She remembered Emmy's serious expression and the slight tone of annoyance when she spoke to her. It was obvious she did not approve of them oversleeping and waking up late, which possibly disrupted their schedule. _Oh I hope we didn't…_

She walked over to Levy who was still in deep sleep and shook her awake.

"Mm," Levy moaned and turned her back to Lucy.

"Hey, Levy, it's 9 AM and if you don't get up we'll be in serious trouble. Miss Harrison will be back and she'll be mad at us for being late."

Levy moaned again but sat up. "Who is this Harrison person?"

"She takes care of Fairy Tail's schedule. She seems nice, though she's a little strict," Lucy said . "Now hurry up ang get dressed, and let's get breakfast at the restaurant downstairs."

"Okay," Levy said grudgingly. She washed up a little and got dressed. Then, they both proceeded to the restaurant downstairs.

It was a high-class restaurant and they served Filipino food. They ordered rice-their staple food in the Philippines-scrambled eggs with vegetables served on a big leaf and pork that was cooked two ways: "sugba" and "kilaw" and was mixed together. It was basically grilled pork; and raw pork that was soaked in vinegar and other spices. And they also ordered two steaming mugs of hot chocolate from the Philippines itself. They were delicious.

"I'm stuffed," Lucy said while holding her stomach as she and Levy were walking back to their suite.

"Yeah, me too," Levy replied and tried to hold down all she ate. "That was my first time eating Filipino food and I admit it tasted good."

Lucy nodded. They had arrived at their suite. She swiped their keycard and the door opened with a click. She glanced at the clock. It read 10 AM.

"We better hurry. I think we still need to do a few stuff. Why don't you take a bath first?" Lucy said, realizing there was only one bathroom.

"Sure," Levy said and stepped inside. Soon, Lucy heard the faint sound of water running down from the shower.

She decided to watch a little TV to pass time. She turned it on and news about Fairy Tail immediately appeared on the screen. It was about their press conference. So they had a press conference earlier.

She turned to other channels and saw they were all in Tagalog which she could not understand. She finally found the channel for Star Movies and watched a bit.

Soon, Lucy heard the bathroom door open and Levy stepped out with a white towel draped around her body. "What are you watching?"

"You Again. It's funny. Fairy Tail had a press conference earlier, by the way," Lucy said and got ready to take a bath.

"Oh. That's why they left early," Levy said and rummaged through her bag for her clothes.

Suddenly, Fairy Tail's song Catch Me If You Can, which was Lucy's ringtone, blared through the room.

Lucy checked her phone and realized it was Erza and she was requesting a video call. She showed the phone to Levy.

"Go ahead. Just let me put on some clothes," Levy said and turned away.

Lucynodded and pressed "answer" on her phone. "Hi!" Lucy greeted and saw Fairy Tail's faces on the screen. Erza was holding the phone.

"Hi, Lucy," Erza said. "We're at this recording studio visiting Manager's friend. How are you?"

Lucy felt touched at the hint of concern in Erza's voice and face."We're fine. We just had an amazing breakfast at the restaurant. You should try their native chocolate."

Erza nodded. "I'm sorry we left you, by the way. We had a press conference earlier at 8, and you seemed to be having such a nice sleep so we didn't wake you up."

"Oh, it's alright really. And we're sorry for waking up late. I could tell Miss Harrison didn't like us for that," Lucy said a little embarrassed.

The screen suddenly showed only Gray's face. "Who? Emmy? Nah, she's normally a fun person but she really doesn't tolerate late people. She usually lectures us about it. She's always punctual and has a great value for time, and I think it's right Manager made her handle our schedule," Gray said.

The screen started to spin and Lucy couldn't see things clearly, then the camera focused on Happy's smiling face.

"Happy!" It was Erza's voice but she sounded distant and mad. Lucy guessed Happy snatched her phone and flew away.

"Hi, Lucy! Where's Levy?" he asked. Lucy saw his background was a blur of ceilings and lights and heard his wings flapping fastly.

"I'm here," Levy said and came into view. She was still drying her wet hair with a towel. "Hi, Happy!"

"Hi, Lev-"

"Gotcha'!"

It was Natsu's voice. There was a thud and the display started to spin again. Now it was Natsu grinning at them but his face was unsteady. He was running. "Hi, guys," he said. "We were thinking that maybe you guys would wanna come with us on this live variety show later at 12 PM. It's gonna get boring there and we thought you might wanna try it out."

Lucy and Levy looked at each other and said, "Sure! We'd love to."

Natsu grinned at them but was suddenly pushed or punched away from the camera. They heard Natsu yelp "Ow!" as the display spun again and the phone landed on Erza's hand, the camera focusing on Erza's face. "Tell Emmy and she'll send someone to pick you up by 12:30. We'll be performing at 2, but the traffic is very heavy; it would be better if you left early so you can enjoy the show, as well." Erza said.

"Sure thing," Lucy said.

"Well, bye for now. See you guys later."

Lucy and Levy waved at the camera, heard muffled goodbyes from the Gray, Happy and Natsu, and then the screen went blank.

"So...what should we do? It's just 10:20," Lucy asked.

"We could tell that Emmy girl to send someone to pick us up first. Then, we could go around the hotel. This place is huge," Levy said.

"Okay, you go ahead. I'll take a bath first," Lucy said.

Levy nodded and exited the room to tell one of the guards, while Lucy stepped in the bathroom. It smelled like roses and had a huge tub and shower. She made a bubble bath, stepped inside, and felt like she'd never come out again when her phone beeped on top of a cabinet. It was a text from Levy, saying she was at the topmost floor and she had to come right away. Lucy washed up, much to her reluctance, and hurried to the topmost floor.

There was a cafè overlooking the city. She pushed the doors open and the familiar scent of coffee and sweet pastries wafted in the air. She saw Levy sitting at one of the tables near the window.

"Are you planning to eat or do you want to stare outside the whole day, Lev?" Lucy asked as she took a seat in front of Levy and statled her.

"We could order something if you want. I seriously want iced coffee right now," Levy said and looked longingly at the coffees displayed in the cafè.

"Well, I want a million dollars. Let's face it. Everyone wants something," Lucy asked as she stared outside the window. It was beautiful.

"We could always order, you know. We'll just tell them we're with Fairy Tail and show valid proof. I have my ID plus VIP tickets with me. Come on Luce," Levy said and waved them in front of Lucy.

Lucy shook her head. "I want coffee too. In fact, Caramel Macchiato but we can't just order stuff around. They might be paying a huge amount of money just-"

"You know what? That's a perfect idea."

Before Lucy could protest, Levy stood up and walked to the counter. She ordered two caramel macchiatos. Lucy did not want to become a burden to them, more than shealready is, so she declined. But her stomach was craving for coffee too.

Levy walked back to their table and saw Lucy frowning. "Trust me. You'll thank me later," Levy said and she continued staring outside.

Fiore, in the city of Magnolia, was Lucy's, Levy's, and Fairy Tail's hometown. It was a nice country, but they didn't have much huge buildings there; for Lucy who has not traveled outside of the country before, the view outside the cafè looked spectacular.

They were counting floors, counting people and even counting cars that got stuck in the much heavy traffic when they heard their names. Levy stood up and took their order from the counter. She went back and Lucy could instantly smell the coffee. It smelled delicious.

Levy handed Lucy her cup and she immediately took a huge gulp. The caffeine woke up her senses and she felt way better.

"That thank you could come in any minute now," Levy said and sipped her coffee.

"Fine. Thank you," Lucy said and drank her coffee. "How about we go around the hotel while we finish this?"

Levy nodded and they both stood up and went around the hotel. While roaming around, they also called to their families and reassured them that they were safe. The both of them were so engrossed in exploring the hotel and talking that they did not notice that it was already 11:45 AM.

"We should probably get lunch now," Lucy suggested and they took the elevator to the restaurant at the ground floor. They ate another very delicious Filipino meal and then were escorted to the venue of the live variety show.

The day went by fast. Fairy Tail performed really well and wowed the audience. They had band practice where Lucy and Levy listened in to, and then had their interview. Lucy and Levy went with them to explore the city, as well. As the day ended, they were all exhausted and had a good night's sleep.

"Good morning! Wake up, guys!" Lucy heard Erza shouting, or more like ordering them.

Lucy and ignored her and covered her ears with their pillows. Before Lucy shut her eyes again, she glanced at the wall clock. It read 6 AM. She wondered why Erza was waking them up this early when she knew they were all tired.

Erza kept on shouting and soon her voice was joined by three other voices which Lucy recognized were Natsu's, Gray's and Happy's. She felt one person sit beside her and thought the others sat at Levy's bed, too.

"Come on, Luce. Wake up already. We didn't wake up this early to do nothing," she heard Natsu say beside her and felt him pass his hand through her hair, almost touching her neck. The feel of his fingers through her hair sent tingling sensations down her spine. It made super conscious and awake.

She peeked from under her pillow and saw Natsu's face hovering a few inches away from hers. She stifled her scream of surprise. "Fine. I'll get up now," Lucy said and shot like lightning to the bathroom. She did not want them to see her morning face.

She washed up a bit, brushed her hair and changed into decent clothes. When she stepped out, she saw the four of them still trying to wake Levy up. Lucy guessed that she was either still asleep or she was pretending to be asleep.

"Is there any reason as to why you've decided to interrupt our peaceful sleep?" Lucy said with her hands on hips and faced Natsu, Happy, Gray and Erza who were around Levy's bed.

"You see, Lucy, we don't have any appointments this morning, and we thought that maybe we could take a swim in the pool and then go to this 3D art museum just somewhere here in Metro Manila," Gray said.

"In this place called Cubao to be exact. They say the paintings there are cool and they look super realistic," Natsu said.

"Aye, we could take lots of pictures there," Happy said and perched on Lucy's shoulder.

"So, what do you say?" asked Erza.

Lucy put on an "I'm-thinking-about-it" sort of face.

"Come on, Luce. I didn't get all fired up for nothing," Natsu said.

Lucy really thought about it and actually liked the idea. She has not seen the pool in the hotel yet and she wanted to swim. She also liked art and she has never been to a 3D art museum before. It also gives her a chance to go around the city and bond with Fairy Tail. Lucy also liked the idea that Fairy Tail would want to spend their free time to swim in a pool and go to an art museum with them rather than rest and sleep.

Lucy looked at Levy who was still very much sleeping. Lucy smiled a radiant smile. "Okay. That would be awesome," Lucy said.

Natsu pumped his fist in the air, Happy flew a happy circle on top of Lucy's head, Gray grinned and Erza smiled. "Alright, let's go then," Erza said.

Lucy glanced at Levy. "You guys go ahead. I'll wake Levy up."

Erza nodded and they stepped out of the room. "I'll wait up for you outside. You might not know where the pool is," Natsu said before he stepped out and shut the door.

Lucy smiled appreciatively in Natsu's direction and turned to Levy. She took the pillow and sheets off Levy's face and realized she was not pretending. She was still asleep.

"Levy," she said and shook Levy a little bit. No answer.

Lucy frowned and tried again. This time she shook her a little bit harder. "Levy, we get to bond with Fairy Tail today."

This time she moaned and stirred a bit but it was not enough to wake her up. "I'll buy you the whole set of the Mortal Instruments if you wake up this instant," Lucy said in a soothing voice.

Levy suddenly sat up and startled Lucy. "Really?"

Lucy chuckled. "Were you really asleep were you faking it?"

"I _was_ asleep. In fact, I had the strangest dream. I dreamt there were people fighting and shouting at each other. It was something about art and breakfast. Then, I heard something about the whole set of Mortal Instruments and I was like 'I gotta wake up,'" Levy said. "I know it was you, by the way. Did you mean it, Lucy?"

"One book only. I don't have enough money and you know it, Lev," Lucy said.

Levy frowned and pretended to be upset but soon she smiled. "Thank you, Lucy!" Levy said and tackled her with a hug.

Lucy laughed and hugged her back. "We got to go. We're going to swim in the pool—"

"This hotel has a pool?" Levy interrupted.

"Yes. And we're going to go to this 3D art museum. Now go and wash up. Your breath stinks," Lucy said and pretended to puke.

Levy pushed her away and laughed, and she ran to the bathroom. Soon, she emerged and they stepped outside their hotel suite and found Natsu waiting for them.

"Took you long enough," Natsu said as they approached him. He was carrying a bag and a towel was draped on his right shoulder like theirs were.

"We're sorry. It took a lot of convincing to wake this baby up," Lucy said and elbowed Levy playfully. Levy elbowed her back a little harder.

"Let's go then. The others are waiting for us," Natsu said.

They walked and climbed a set of stairs to a floor Lucy and Levy have never been to. Then, they saw this huge indoor pool where Erza, Happy and Gray were already splashing each other with water. They were the only ones there.

"Alright! We have the place to ourselves," Natsu said and stretched.

"We got in already. We hope you don't mind," Erza called out from the middle of the huge pool.

"Oh, we don't. It's fine. We have to change first," Levy said and Erza nodded at them.

They changed first and dived into the pool. The water was refreshing. They spent an hour and thirty minutes swimming and splashing in the pool. They were having fun and were very loud but they did not mind since they were the only ones there.

Afterwards, they had breakfast. As usual, the food tasted delicious. After they ate, they immediately rode a van to the Art in Island 3D Art Museum.

"Wow," Lucy said when they had stepped inside the museum. The whole place was filled with 3D Art. There was one painting where—if you positioned yourself the right way— seemed to be almost crushed by a crocodile's big jaw. Another one was where you looked like you were crossing steps that looked like they were suspended in mid-air.

They took dozens of picture and had fun. There were occasional pulling and tugging to check this painting and then that one, until they had finished the whole museum. Time flew by so fast and they hadn't realized it was time for them to get ready for the concert.

They went back to the hotel, had lunch and Fairy Tail along with Lucy and Levy were rushed to the venue. They had last check-ups and band practice and then were rushed to hair and make-up.

Lucy took a peek at the venue from the backstage. People had started coming in the venue until the whole place was filled to the brim. They were carrying banners, posters and wearing shirts with Fairy Tail's faces on them. Lucy went to Fairy Tail's dressing room and joined them as they waited. It was only a few minutes left until the concert started.

"Are you nervous?" Levy asked.

To Lucy, Fairy Tail looked extremely cool and did not look like they were nervous even one tiny bit. She wondered how excited the fans were and remembered when she herself was like that. She could already hear them screaming from the dressing room and she was excited herself.

"Yeah," Gray said. "The nervous feeling never really goes away."

"But we're excited, of course. This is our first concert here, and it's the first stop on our world tour. We might as well give them one heck of a show," Erza said enthusiastically.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Fairy Tail was called to the stage. Lucy and Levy gave them encouraging smiles and said motivating stuff to them.

Erza went out first. The screams suddenly became louder.

"We love you, Erza!"

"Erza, you look so beautiful tonight!"

Gray and then Happy followed. The screams became louder as more fans cheered and screamed for Fairy Tail and their favorite band members. From the backstage, Lucy could glimpse the blinding spotlights, phones taking videos and pictures of the concert and hundreds of the screaming fans.

"You look so hot, Gray!"

"Happy, we wanna take you home!"

Natsu was the last but before he stepped into the spotlight, he turned to Lucy behind him and held her arm lightly.

"Is there anything wrong, Natsu?" asked Lucy and thought maybe Natsu was nervous. She looked him in the eyes and saw a slight flush creep up from his neck to his face. He looked incredibly hot tonight.

"Um…" Natsu said and scratched his neck. "W-we're gonna sing some songs from other artists tonight. L-listen to them, okay?"

"Of course," Lucy had replied while nodding at him. Natsu saw her smile sweetly. He was caught back for a moment; feeling like his heart had stopped a little. She was more beautiful when she smiled.

Natsu grinned at her and he looked like his usual self again. He waved at Lucy, then turned towards the stage and walked into the spotlight. She heard the fans screaming his name.

Lucy turned to Levy who was standing behind her and was smiling devilishly. "What?"

Levy shook her head that meant it was nothing, but the mischievous smile was still plastered on her face. "Let's head to our seats."

They walked around the backstage and to their VIP seats that were nearest to the stage, just in time to hear Natsu say a little speech. They were going to have a wonderful night.

Natsu grinned at them. He was greeted by the bright spotlight and the screams of their fans. He walked over to the middle of the stage where a microphone was set up. He saw Erza and Gray were ready with their guitars; Happy was ready with his drums.

Natsu held the microphone and waved at the crowd, and made a gesture for them to quiet down a bit. The place was suddenly a little quiet.

Out of nowhere, somebody screamed, "We love you, Natsu!"

Natsu laughed and winked to no one in particular. "We love you, too."

There were audible sighs from throughout the venue. The fan who said that and her friends were going crazy and Natsu could tell the others were jealous. A little screaming and cheering had begun again, but Natsu gestured for them to keep quiet a bit.

"In behalf of my band, we would like to say thank you to all of you who came out here tonight to watch us. Thank you for the love and support. Mahal namin kayong lahat," Natsu said and grinned his playful grin. He had said the Tagalog translation for "We love you all" which he learned through a fan who sent them a video.

"Mahal din namin kayo!" the fans screamed, which meant "we love you too".

"I'm all fired up! Now let's get this party started," Natsu said and then Erza and Gray started strumming and Happy started drumming.

The fans started screaming again as the familiar song kicked in. Natsu held the microphone tightly and sang the first lyrics of their song wholeheartedly. It was a slow and sweet song which they rarely do. The fans were putting their hands up in the air and were swaying to the left and to the right.

While he was singing, he looked desperately for the one person he so badly wanted for her to hear him sing. He looked around but there were so many people and the lights were too bright that he could only see unclear faces. But the knowledge that she was somewhere out there listening invigorated him, and he poured out his heart through his singing.

When they were done with their first song, the fans started screaming again. They were just getting started. Then, they played their rock songs. The crowd went wild. Natsu strode across the stage and jumped and danced, looking very confident and loked like he was enjoying it.

He went beside Gray, who was strumming very swiftly. His fingers seemed to glide across the strings. Gray was growling sexily into the microphone. Natsu then went in front of Happy. Happy was drumming hard, and a light sheen of sweat covered him. Natsu positioned his microphone near Happy's mouth and they both sang the part where there was lots of shouting. Next, Natsu strode off to Erza who was singing the soft part of the song. Natsu could see they were enjoying it as much as he was.

Natsu went back to the middle of the stage. He sang, and then positioned the microphone to the audience with his free hand on his ear like he wanted to hear them sing. The fans did not fail him. They sang the next lyrics. He did it again and the fans continued the lyrics.

The song ended and the crowd roared. Natsu smiled and spoke softly, "We'll be playing a song called Out Of My League that was originally sung by Stephen Speaks. This is dedicated to someone very close to us. You might not know who you are but I do."

The crowd roared and cheered.

"It's me! It's me!"

"Oh my god, I appreciate it very much!"

Natsu laughed at the fans. He knew they were kidding, and he scanned the crowd for that one person he dedicated the song to. He smiled when he found her, just as he sang the first lyrics.

 _It's her hair and her eyes today_

 _That just simply take me away_

 _And the feeling that I'm falling further in love makes me shiver_

 _But in a good way_

Natsu poured out his heart, and his friends backed him up. They knew who he dedicated the song to, and even if they were against it, they knew how important it was for Natsu even just through a song to pour out his feelings. He hoped she could feel it.

' _Cause I love her with all that I am_

 _And my voice shakes along with my hands_

' _Cause she's all that I see and she's all that I need_

 _And I'm out of my league once again_

The concert was spectacular and their Filipino fans had enjoyed it. As much as Fairy Tail still wanted to stay and explore the country, they had to go and take their flight that very night to the next stop in their world tour.

They drove back to the hotel, grabbed a quick dinner and rode their plane. Everyone was tired and slept immediately when they finally settled in their seats.

Lucy yawned. Before she closed her eyes, she turned to Natsu who was three seats behind her. "That was some nice singing tonight, Natsu."

Natsu smiled at her. She smiled back and closed her eyes. The plane's engine started and they flew in the night sky. She heard Natsu puke again. _He'll be fine,_ and she fell asleep.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hi, my dear readers! Thank you for waiting for my update. To the people who are still reading this, thank you very much. Drop me a few reviews/favorites, and let me hear from you. You don't know how much I appreciate them.**

 **Do you have any fave quotes and songs that you think are appropriate for this chapter? Recommend them and I'll listen to them and feature them in the story.**

 **To those who would like to become a part of the story, PM me** **A big shout-out to EmmyHippo who I made a character in the story. Hope you like your role here. :***

 **Follow me on Twitter BrielleSilver for updates on the story. Thanks, guys!**

 **Much love,**

 **Rock-glamour-animeroxx211**


	8. To My Readers

Hi, Readers!

Hi, readers! Again. If still have any that is :3 Anyway, I haven't updated My Fairy Tail Band for a few weeks now. AGAIN. I went away for a while to chill out and now my tasks are piling up. :( I'll probably update during my Christmas vacation or when I have loads of free time. If you want to know what I'm up to, follow me here:

Twitter: BrielleSilver -I use this on a regular basis.

Instagram: briellsilver1344 -I just made this one and I have about 65 followers and 6 posts sooo... *shrugs* But if you wanna know what I did when I said I "chilled out", then you have come to the right place.

Wattpad: Gab_Brielle1344 -I am rarely online here since I just fill my library with sufficient stocks of books and then read offline but I check my account from time to time. Sadly, I have no stories here. But I'll tell you if it ever crosses my mind :)

My Facebook account however is confidential(like I'm a spy or something) but I'll tell you when I'll start opening up to the public.

I have shared my accounts with you, not because I want lots of likes and follows, but because I want us all to be friends. And if you follow me, I totally follow back. I also reply to messages so send me some and I'll reply to all of them when I'm online.

I also welcome fan-made stuff! Fanart, poems, book covers or trailers as long as they are made from the heart and out of pure sincerity are stuff I love.

Use the #MyFairyTailBand and #rockglamour and tag me if you ever think of posting to me so I can see them. :D I want to interact with you guys even if it's just virtually.

I know my story is not that popular and there are loads of better stories than mine, still I want to thank you for supporting me and for giving this story a chance! You rock~!


	9. Chapter 7: Dream City

Chapter 7: Dream City

Author's Note:

Hi! Thanks for patiently waiting. I don't want to spoil you, but I have to reveal this. This chapter takes place in Paris, France. All my deepest sympathies go out to those affected by the terror attacks not only in Paris, but in all the other countries across the globe. Please listen to Pompeii by Bastille. I think it suits what had happened.

I hope this is as long and informative as I think it is. By the way, I haven't fully edited this, so please bear with me. xx

Lucy woke up reluctantly. Her bed was very soft and it smelled good, inviting her to sleep some more. Though she felt that it was too soft to be her bed, she closed her eyes again but couldn't go back to sleep. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She felt light-headed, yet her body felt heavy, like some kind of weight was dragging her down. Her vision adjusted and she realized she was alone in a fancy-looking room with two empty beds. It was already dark. She looked down at herself and realized she was still wearing the same clothes from last night.

She felt disoriented as she scanned fancy hotel room, trying hard to remember how she ended up there. She remembered the last time she was awake, it was dark. Now, it was also dark. Though she was sure that she was in two different places, and that she had never been to this hotel before. She wracked her brains trying to think about what had happened.

Last night's events were all a blur. She remembered riding a plane from the Philippines. She remembered riding a shuttle right after exiting the plane, then riding a van to who-knows-where. She remembered the exhausted and groggy faces of her friends. Her vision was spinning from the jet lag and all the bright flashes from—she was very sure—a hundred cameras, but managed to read Terrass Hôtel before they stepped out of a van and went inside the fancy hotel. Lastly, she remembered crashing into bed, exactly what she did when they first arrived in the Philippines.

She blinked twice and shook her head. It was throbbing a little. She looked for her bag and found it lying on the floor beside her bed. She immediately felt for a painkiller inside the outer pocket of her bag, found a glass of water lying on top of her bedside table and gulped the medicine down. She always kept a couple of fast-working painkillers around. Her shoulders sagged with visible relief as the medicine started working.

She felt rather sticky and uncomfortable in her current clothes, so she decided to shower and change. Feeling fresh and revived, she stepped out of the bathroom while drying her hair with a towel. She was startled when she saw Levy sitting on one of the beds.

"Good evening, Lucy. I know you're gonna ask, so it's 6 PM and it's a different day," Levy said and gave her a slight smile. She sure knew Lucy very well.

Lucy realized Levy had also changed and looked fresh but still looked a bit tired. Lucy looked at herself in the mirror in the bathroom earlier and noticed the similarities between her and Levy. They both had dark circles under their eyes.

Lucy walked over to her while still wiping her damp hair with a towel. "It's already nighttime, Lev? I must've slept too long."

"Yeah, you slept like Aurora, the sleeping beauty though you didn't wake up with true love's kiss. I couldn't blame you, though. We were all tired from last night," Levy said and lied down on her bed with a flop and with her arms outstretched.

"Where's Erza and the others?" Lucy asked as she went back to her bed and sorted through her things.

"Oh, they had to leave for their concert at Zénith de Paris. I looked the place up and it was a pretty cool venue. The biggest musical stars play there. They left just as I woke up momentarily, at around 12 PM. They were really tired but you know duty calls. They're not back here yet."

"They had their concert right away?" Lucy asked, surprise at the suddenness.

Levy mumbled a yes. "It was all on short notice. Apparently, their manager wants to speed things up."

 _Because of me._ Lucy nodded as a sign that she understood. No matter how tired they were, they had to pick their butts up and get to work. The rock stars' lives were not that easy. And no matter how many times Fairy Tail made her feel otherwise, she knew she was dead weight. The reason behind the delay.

All of a sudden, her stomach gave a loud grumble, making her snap out of her negative thoughts. She had not eaten lunch and breakfast. As a result, she felt very hungry.

Levy laughed upon hearing Lucy's stomach. "You must be hungry. I already ordered food for the both of us. They're gonna deliver it to our room. Good thing they knew how to speak English or else I could have had a hard time."

"Thanks, Lev. But, um, where are we anyway?" Lucy asked, her voice dripping with curiosity. She had a terrible headache and jet lag earlier so she had not paid attention to her surroundings much. Plus, negative feelings were gnawing on her thoughts again.

Levy suddenly sat up. Her eyebrows were knit together and she gave Lucy an incredulous look. "You don't know where we are?"

Lucy shook her head as she brushed hair. "I wasn't exactly in my best state earlier, and I could have cared less about my surroundings with my pounding head."

"Are you serious? I just told you their concert venue. It practically has the name of the place all over it."

Lucy pointed at her head. "I must've misheard it. Like I said, pounding head."

"Oh, my gosh! You would not believe it," Levy said in a sing-song voice. She emitted an excited squeal, rushed to Lucy and pulled her to her feet.

Lucy almost dropped her brush when Levy tugged on her arm. "Come on! I've got something to show you," Levy said and dragged Lucy out of bed. For a girl with a small figure, she was surprisingly strong.

Lucy clutched her brush and managed to keep hold of it as Levy dragged her towards a set of sliding doors. "I'm coming, you know. You don't have to drag me."

Lucy was sure Levy heard her but she didn't say anything and also didn't let go of her arm. Levy pushed the doors open and they stepped outside. A cold wind greeted them. Lucy shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

Her hair whipped wildly across her face, covering her view. Irritated, she tugged at her blonde locks hard and tied it into a clumsy bun. She finally paid attention to the view. It was a beautiful city with bright lights, busy streets and colorful shops, nothing like she had not seen before. She was disinterested but she did not say it out loud so as not to crush Levy's excitement.

"So…?" Lucy asked politely.

Levy made a small irritated noise. "Look over there," Levy said and pointed at something. "You see that pointy thingy…?"

Lucy squinted and focused on where Lucy was pointing at. She saw that pointy thingy she was referring to. It actually looked like a tower. A very familiar-looking tower…

"Oh my gosh! Is that the Eiffel Tower?" Lucy said with widened eyes and disbelief written all over her face.

"Yep!" Levy said excitedly.

Lucy squealed in delight. She stepped nearer and put her hands on the cold metal railing. She jumped up and down because of the sudden adrenaline rush that overtook her. The brush—she had not realized she was still holding on to it—fell from her grasp, hit a metal pole with a harsh clang and dropped into the darkness below.

"Yikes. Hope that didn't hit anyone," Levy said as she peered down.

Lucy loved that brush but could not think of anything else but her excitement at the moment. "Who cares? We're in Paris, France!"

They hugged each other, jumped up and down and screamed their excitement off like little children until they heard a soft knock on their door and a very irritated yell of a man from the room above them. Lucy was sure he was shouting a colorful stream of French curses. Realizing what they had done, they blushed but laughed it off.

"That must be our dinner. You stay here and enjoy the view. Take it all in. But make sure you don't make much noise again," Levy said, whispering the last line while pointing above them.

"You were making most of the noise!" Lucy joked and laughed.

Levy grinned as a response. She cocked her head to the side as another knock—much louder this time—was heard again. "Can't keep the poor guy waiting," she said and disappeared back into the room.

Lucy focused all her attention to the spectacular view before her. Now that she really paid attention, she could see dozens of shops selling all sorts of stuff, the illuminated "Taxi Parisien" signs on the roof of taxis passing by and lots of signs in French which she could not understand. She had always wanted to go to Paris, and here she was. It felt so surreal.

Lucy was snapped out of her reverie when she heard a sharp rap on the door. She looked behind her and saw Levy's head poke out from the room.

"Hey. Dinner's here or don't you wanna eat yet?" Levy asked.

Lucy's stomach grumbled as response. They both laughed as Lucy walked back inside the room reluctantly. The smell of delicious food wafted through the room and immediately attacked Lucy's senses, making her mouth water. It smelled heavenly.

Lucy saw the food laid on her bedside tables. She looked at Levy and saw her eyeing the food hungrily. "Screw table manners. Let's eat in bed," Lucy said and they both grinned.

They pulled their beds closer to each other, with Lucy's bedside table in between the two beds. "So, what are we having?" Lucy asked and eyed the food.

Levy picked the menu up from the table. "Gigot D'Agneau Pleureur," Levy said in her best attempt at the right pronunciation of the dish.

Lucy laughed. "That sounds weird. What is it exactly?"

"I think it's lamb," Levy said while poking the meat with her fork. "And we have red Médoc wine to go with it."

Lucy took a sip of her wine. It was not her first time but she flinched a little as the liquid went down her throat, leaving a little burning sensation. "Since when do you drink wine?"

"Since that hot guy over the counter suggested that it went good with this Gigot-whatever-darn dish," Levy said and took a sip of her own. She made a face and Lucy laughed at her.

They finally tasted the dish. The meat tasted awesome. Lucy and Levy gobbled the meat up with the potatoes placed on a rack underneath it. They finished it up in record time.

"I have to admit, this stuff does taste good along with the wine," Levy said and took another sip. Though she tried hard not to, she still made a face.

"What did the hot guy at the counter suggest for dessert then?" Lucy asked, excited for the final part of their meal.

"Well, we have "Profiteroles" or cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with hot chocolate sauce," Levy said and gave Lucy a plate.

"Wow, it looks delicious. I'm starting to like this guy of yours," Lucy said and took a big spoonful. She moaned as the delicious dessert melted in her mouth.

Just as they were finishing up their food, there was a knock on the door. Lucy opened the door and saw Fairy Tail. They looked nice, with groomed hair and dressed in expensive-looking designer clothes. Lucy felt surprised that Gray didn't take it off yet. Despite their tired looks, they gave her slight smiles.

"Welcome back! We just finished dinner. Come on in," Lucy said and stepped aside to make room for Fairy Tail. Happy flew a lazy circle around their heads, Erza walked swiftly towards her bed while Natsu hopped on Lucy's bed. Gray took off his shirt and hopped on Levy's.

"Hey!" Levy greeted them as she cleaned up what they had eaten.

Natsu scanned the empty plates strewn on their bed. "Aww, no more food?" Natsu asked with a disappointed look on his face.

"Nope," Lucy said. "We finished just as you arrived."

"So, how did the concert go? Too bad we did not get to see it," Lucy added.

Gray then shot into a concise description of how the concert went, with Natsu and Happy occasionally adding details and making weird sound effects as Gray talked.

However, Erza looked like she did not feel like talking. Lucy could practically feel the dark aura emanating from her. Her eyes lingered on Erza as she took some clothes from her bag and stepped into the bathroom.

"What happened to your head, Natsu?" Lucy heard Levy ask. Lucy's attention snapped back to them. She noticed Natsu continuously rubbing his head. He looked a little woozy.

"Oh, this? It's nothing. Just a little bruise," Natsu said and hugged Lucy's pillows. His eyes fluttered close and he was wearing a pained expression which made them believe it was far from fine.

"Let me see," Lucy said and sat beside Natsu. She touched the top of his head where he was rubbing earlier. Natsu winced as her fingers grazed the lump on head.

"What happened? The lump is a little big," Lucy said. She attempted to soothe him by running her fingers through his pink hair, rubbing the sore spot on his head lightly.

Gray laughed and yawned. "He got hit by someone's brush as we were entering the hotel. There were lots of people downstairs so we didn't get to treat it right away."

Lucy's hand that was running through his hair immediately froze after hearing Gray's words. Lucy met Levy's eyes and they exchanged panicked looks. Lucy knew that it was her brush. It could have been no one else's but hers. Guilt started weighing heavily in her chest. She glanced at Natsu who was clutching her pillows tightly.

"I'll put some ice on that," Lucy said and called room service for some ice. She felt guilty because of what happened to Natsu. She also felt responsible for taking care of him.

Soon, there was a soft knock on the door. Room service had arrived and they gave an ice bucket to Lucy. She wrapped some ice in a towel and put it against Natsu's head. He winced and stirred but did not get up. Soon, his steady snores resonated throughout the room. He was asleep.

Happy curled up on Lucy's bed and yawned. His eyes were drooping. Gray looked very tired, as well. "We're really tired, Lucy. We need some rest. Our day was so stressful and we lack sleep. Hopefully we could talk some more tomorrow," Gray said, got up and yawned.

"No problem, Gray," Lucy said. Gray walked over to Lucy's bed, scooped up Happy who was already asleep and put him on his shoulder. Lucy shook Natsu lightly. Then, she poked his cheek. It was surprisingly soft. She kept going at it. Still, he showed no signs of waking up.

Seeing as Natsu would not wake up, Gray stalked over to Lucy's bed. She helped Gray pull Natsu to his feet. Gray slung Natsu's arm around his shoulder, and he staggered from his weight.

"Damn, this bastard's heavy," Gray said. Lucy helped Gray bear Natsu's weight by slinging his other arm around her shoulder. Boy, he _really_ was heavy. Levy opened the door for them.

Together, they made their way towards the boys' room, which was at the end of the hall. Gray unceremoniously dumped Natsu and Happy on their beds the minute they stepped inside. The two were still in deep sleep and were snoring slightly.

Lucy scanned their room. The boys' clothes were in a messy heap on their beds. Nevertheless, their room was pretty, too. From where she was standing, she could see their room also had a terrace with a wonderful view like theirs. They certainly picked the best rooms for Fairy Tail.

Gray jumped into his own bed and hid under the sheets. "Thanks for the help, Lucy. Please shut the door on your way out," he said, his voice muffled under the covers.

"Sure," Lucy said and gently shut the door. She made her way back to their room slowly, deliberately admiring the hotel's décor. It looked elegant and inviting.

As soon as she arrived back into their room, Lucy jumped into her bed. She noticed that the lights were already turned off. Amidst the silence, she could hear a slight snoring from a figure hidden under the covers of the third bed—the one nearest to the terrace. She guessed it could only have been Erza. Levy, however, was still up with her lamplight still on, and looked like she was reading a book. It was hard to tell with Levy's back to her.

"Levy," Lucy whispered. She was afraid that she would wake Erza up, and she did not want that especially with Erza's grumpy demeanor earlier.

"What?" Levy asked with a hint of irritation in her voice. She turned her head slightly to face Lucy but her back was still to her. Her glasses were askew on her nose, and she was failing in her attempt to suppress a scowl. Lucy could see a cover of a book peeking from beneath her fingers.

"I'm still not sleepy. I mean, I slept for a day. Is there anything else we could do here?"

Levy closed her book with a snap, and then took her glasses off. "To be honest, I'm pretty bored, too. How about we go shopping? I'm planning on buying stuff for mom and grandma."

"Sure!" Lucy said, while nodding her head enthusiastically. "There are tons of shops around here, right? We could totally go."

Levy agreed. They changed to warmer clothes—thick boots, jackets, gloves and earmuffs to protect them from the cold because the Paris air is surely chilly.

Lucy wrote a quick note and placed it on Erza's bedside table, saying that they were going shopping, just in case Erza wondered where they went off to. Lucy doubted she was going to wake up anytime soon, though.

The moment they stepped out of the hotel, a cold wind hit them like a freight train. Lucy instinctively put her arms around her arms. She was very thankful for the clothes she was wearing.

They were in Montmartre district, one of the most famous districts in Paris, and the streets were filled with all kinds of shops.

Lucy's eyes twinkled with delight as they walked around the district; eyeing the shops and buildings as they passed by. Lots of people were also passing by, conversing in French as they did. The gloomy thoughts that were bothering her mind were momentarily forgotten.

They decided to just look around for a while; they weren't that interested in designer bags, clothes and jewelry anyway. They had a budget and they decided to stick to it. Gifts were their top priority.

They found a shop called "Tienda Esquipulas" which takes visitors to South America with masks, voto offerings and waxed canvases in fiery colours. Lucy bought a colorful and scary-looking mask for her cousin Kendall who liked weird stuff.

Soon, they arrived at rue Dancourt. Lucy stumbled upon a gift shop called "Gift Code." She literally stumbled upon it when Levy pulled her arm back to point at a shop that called her attention, causing Lucy to stumble a bit. When she looked up, she saw the shop. They thought it was the perfect place since they were looking for gifts and the place was called "Gift Code."

When they emerged, they were clutching a couple of small shopping bags. Lucy bought a couple of trinkets for her family back in Fiore, and also some for Fairy Tail. Levy bought stationery stuff for herself.

They kept walking and soon reached rue La Vieuville with still the same number of shopping bags in their hands. Lucy walked a little ahead of Levy, just admiring the beauty of the place. Lucy was staring at a distant shop with an interesting sign when Levy called her attention while pointing ecstatically to a shop in front of them. Lucy read the sign above them. It read "Spree."

They went inside. "Spree" was a shop that mixed clothes, design furniture and an art gallery. Levy instantly dashed for the art gallery. The art pieces there were fascinating. Levy bought a painting that depicted the city of Paris as a gift to her mother who really wanted to go there.

They explored the shopping street more. Lucy found herself buying vintage stuff—stuff that looked old but looked like they were well-loved and well-cared for. In fact, she bought 5 different keys that were most probably used ages ago.

They were both tired by the time they arrived at rue Steinkerque, which they decided would be their last destination for the night. Lucy was starting to feel the cold seep through her clothes, and she clamped her mouth shut to keep her teeth from chattering; Levy's shoulders slumped with exhaustion, and she struggled to walk in a straight line; most importantly, they learned much from a movie called Taken that it was dangerous for teenagers like them to go walking about late at night.

Their spirits were uplifted when they discovered a little Chocolate Museum by Maison Georges Larnicol. Among their original chocolate creations was a giant Eiffel Tower. Levy and Lucy enjoyed taking pictures with it. They bought chocolate to take home, as well.

They decided to hail a taxi because they were too tired to walk all the way back to the hotel. Of course, they chose a trustworthy-looking driver and made sure the taxi was legal.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, it was already 10 in the evening. Erza was still sound asleep, the note Lucy hastily scribbled still untouched on her bedside table.

They placed the items they purchased on the floor beside their beds. Levy immediately fell into a deep sleep right after laying down on her bed. Lucy was also tired; however, she did not feel sleepy yet.

She paced around the room and found a spare keycard to the boys' room at the foot of Erza's bed. She picked it up and ran her fingers across the smooth surface. Natsu came into her mind; she decided to check up on him.

She walked over to their room with light and sure footsteps. She swiped the keycard and the door clicked open. She gently pushed the door open, careful not to make too much noise. She stepped inside and heard the boys' snores instantly.

She walked over to Natsu and stood beside his bed, staring at his boyish features. His pink hair was messy from twisting and turning around in bed, his sheets tangled around his body and his mouth hung slightly open. One of his pillows was on the floor.

She noticed the ice pack that she placed on his head earlier was not there anymore. She sat beside him, picked up the pillow that had fallen and placed it beside Natsu. She lifted his arm and wrapped it around the pillow. Natsu stirred a little but did not wake.

Her hands made their way to his soft, pink hair, and she felt for the lump caused by her hairbrush. She grimaced as she felt how big the lump was. She remembered keeping an ointment for injuries in her coat pocket. She reached for it and closed her fingers around the small container.

She gently wiped some on the lump on his head. Natsu made a tiny noise of protest. Lucy wiped it a lot gentler afterwards.

Lucy jumped a little when she felt Natsu's fingers closing in on her wrist. He groaned and opened his eyes. "Who—?"

"It's me," Lucy replied softly. She winced inwardly at Natsu's strong grip on her wrist.

Natsu's grip on her wrist gradually softened, and he laughed. "I thought it was an intruder that wanted to bash me in the head again."

Lucy shook her head, smiling. "I'm not an intruder. Well, kinda'. But I won't ever bash you in the head. Actually, I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"Remember the brush that hit you in the head? Actually, it was mine. I accidentally dropped it from the terrace of our room after I found out that we're in Paris. I got too excited, I guess. I'm sorry."

"But know that I won't ever bash you in the head on purpose," Lucy hastily added.

Natsu chuckled. "Actually, I know the brush was yours. But it's fine. I'm hard-headed. And it doesn't hurt that much anymore. Thanks for the ice pack and the ointment, by the way."

"How did you know that was all me?"

"The brush had blonde strands of hair on it. I don't know how, but I had a feeling it was yours. I also remembered you putting the ice pack on my head earlier in your room. I wasn't fully asleep that time. And my head feels kinda' cool right now, so I'm guessing it's the ointment."

"Wow, I'm impressed you remembered," Lucy said.

"No matter how many bashes on the head I receive, they couldn't make me forget all the good stuff you've done for me," Natsu said, while staring into her eyes intensely. His grip on her wrist tightened again, but not to a point where it hurt. He looked serious, and there was a different glint in his eyes.

Lucy felt like she couldn't breathe from the sudden uncomfortable tension in the air. It didn't help that Natsu was still holding her wrist like he didn't want to let her go.

Lucy stood up abruptly and smoothed down her clothes. Natsu's hand fell back to his side. His expression changed, but quickly it was replaced with a vacant look before Lucy could tell what it was.

Lucy stared at anything else but his face. She was suddenly interested in the curtains. She cleared her throat before she spoke. "I—er—should be going now," Lucy said awkwardly and dashed out of their room.

Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she found refuge under the sheets of her bed. She couldn't explain the weird feelings that closed in on her heart while Natsu was looking at her with a quiet intensity, or what his looks meant.

She willed herself to calm down, taking deep shallow breaths. Eventually, the erratic beating of her heart ceased and was replaced with her light snores.

Lucy woke up the next day to the glorious smell of food. She felt cold and sleepy, but the smell of food forced her to get up. She sat up abruptly and followed the smell with her nose. She found that her friends were all gathered on Erza's bed, with the food resting on her bedside table.

Before any of them noticed her, she dashed into the bathroom. She washed up quickly. Right after she stepped out, her friends greeted her with warm smiles.

"Good morning, Lucy!"

"We have breakfast," Erza said and gestured for her to sit with them. She looked much better today. Erza was smiling and talking a little. In fact, all of them looked good. Having a good night's rest did well for them.

Lucy walked over and sat beside Levy who each gave them their plates. "Why are we having breakfast in bed?" Lucy asked.

"Well, you guys had dinner in bed last night, right? We thought it would be fun if we had breakfast in bed, too," Natsu said, and wiggled his eyebrows at Lucy.

"Okay," Lucy said. She still felt uncomfortable under Natsu's gaze because last night's events were still embedded in her mind. She was a little surprised at the way Natsu talked to her, though. It was as if nothing awkward happened last night.

"What are we having?" Lucy asked, smelling the delicious food Levy has been passing onto them.

"We have hot and delicious Soupe à L'oignon and Sole Meunière, which is a fish dish. My most favorite type of dish," Happy said, and took a big spoonful into his mouth. Lucy could have sworn he had hearts in his eyes after swallowing the Sole Meunière.

"So basically it's soup and fish?" Lucy asked.

Gray nodded and tucked into his meal. "Come on. Don't degrade the poor dish. Try it out. It tastes awesome."

Lucy eyed her own soup and fish dish. The top of the Soupe à L'oignon has a thick golden crust and the smell was very inviting. She took a big spoonful of it. It tasted like a savory bread pudding. Next, she tried the Sole Meunière. The Sole Meunière tasted flavorful, crispy, buttery, and lemony, all at once. They were delicious.

Erza chuckled upon seeing Lucy's moon-eyed face. "Tastes delicious, isn't it? We have a white wine—a Sancerre—to go with it, too." Erza poured the wine into Lucy's wine glass.

"I've noticed that French meals always have wine or some kind of drink to go with that certain type of dish," Lucy said as she remembered last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast. She lifted her wine glass to her lips and took a sip of the wine. It left a little burning sensation down her throat, but she had to admit that it made the meal taste better.

"It's customary for them to have wine to accompany their food. And they make the food taste better," Erza explained. Lucy agreed at that. They heartily ate their meal. The soup helped warm them up, too.

Lucy wondered what was for dessert just as they were finishing the Soupe à L'oignon and Sole Meunière. Natsu pulled the cover off the plate that had the dessert, revealing their next delicious journey.

"We have Chocolate éclairs for dessert! And they're filled with chocolate cream," Natsu said, and stuffed two whole éclairs into his mouth. "These are legit!"

Lucy picked one up and took a bite. Natsu was right. They were filled with chocolate cream. Most of the éclairs Lucy had eaten were filled with vanilla custard. Lucy thought the chocolate cream was way better than the vanilla custard. The others thought so, too.

Lucy felt like she had turned away from the plate of éclairs for just a minute, and when she turned back there was only one éclair left. She was already full, so she decided to give the last one to the others.

Gray's eye twitched as he stared at the last éclair on the plate. Natsu licked his lips in anticipation of eating the last one. They were sitting across each other. Natsu was on Erza's bed while Gray was on a chair, the bedside table with the dessert plate in between them. Both had looked up at the same time, and met each other's eyes. Both realized the other wanted the last éclair. Gray and Natsu were already trying to intimidate the other by having a staring contest. Both had wicked grins plastered onto their faces. Tension hung heavily in the air.

Just as they both stood up and made a mad attempt to beat the other at grabbing the last éclair, Erza swooped in between them, smacked their hands and faces away from the éclair with her fists, and leisurely picked up the last éclair and popped it into her mouth.

The force of her blow was so strong that Natsu and Gray both ended up on the floor. They rubbed their sore cheeks and hands, and scowled at Erza. Erza gave them a scarier scowl, and they were forced to retreat like scared puppies.

Lucy, Levy and Happy who were mere spectators of the events, tried to suppress their goofy grins and laughter. Happy flew over to Natsu who tried to comfort him by patting his back.

Natsu and Gray stole glances at Erza who chewed the éclair slowly, enjoying the taste of it. They whimpered as she finally swallowed it down. "So, we're feeling alive and full again. How about we go shopping and sight-seeing?" said Erza, and wiped her mouth to remove any remains of her meal.

"We could go to the Eiffel Tower!" Happy suggested.

Lucy and Levy locked eyes with each other, and both knew the other was thrilled at the idea. Despite having shopped already, they both wanted to see the city more, especially to see the Eiffel Tower up close. They wanted to see the city in broad daylight with their friends.

"Sure!" They said in unison.

Erza turned to Natsu and Gray with her hands on her hips. "Are you coming?"

Natsu suddenly stood up and charged towards Erza, stopping with only a few inches between their faces. Erza gave him a smug look.

"Of course, I am! There are lots of pastry shops out there, and I'm sure I'll find something better than chocolate 'éclairs,'" Natsu said. He didn't gesture it, but Lucy was sure she could feel the imaginary quotation marks around the éclair word as Natsu said it.

Gray stood up and dusted himself off. He spoke in a determined voice, "Me too."

"Bring it on," Erza said, gave Natsu and Gray a menacing look and darted away from them. She paused only to pick up a few clothes from her bag, and rushed to the bathroom.

"Why did she go to the bathroom all of a sudden?" Natsu asked.

"Obviously, Erza took a bath. You can't go shopping and sight-seeing with a smelly body. That would be gross. What if your fans recognize you? They'll call you Fairy "Smelly" Tail for sure," Lucy said with a shrug.

Natsu and Gray looked at each other for a few seconds before sprinting back to their room. Happy followed after them shortly.

By the time Levy, Lucy and Erza had all finished taking a bath; Natsu, Gray and Happy were gone.

"Wow, they must have taken the challenge between you seriously," Lucy said as she tied the laces of her boots.

Erza was currently adjusting her cap on her head. She had tied her hair into a bun and concealed it with a cap, then wore glamorous sunglasses that hid half her face.

"They're always like that; I won't concern myself. Let's focus entirely on shopping," Erza said.

The three of them made their way out of the hotel, and hailed a taxi. They were going to Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Sèvres-Babylone and rue de Rennes for a shopping spree in the heart of Paris. Lucy decided that this was the time to buy clothes and accessories for herself.

Erza was really good in picking outfits that suit her. She could mix and match the perfect tops and skirts together, wear accessories that complemented dresses, or pick shoes to go with a certain type of outfit. She even helped Lucy and Levy determine the perfect looks and outfits that suited each of them. Erza was a pro at fashion, and Lucy was very thankful for her exquisite fashion sense.

They were going in and out of dozens of shops, with Erza holding a number of shopping bags already, while Lucy and Levy modestly bought only a few things because they kept in mind that they were kind of short. Despite having little to buy, they were having fun, talking and laughing with Erza. So far, no one seemed to recognize the rock star yet.

Lucy was currently examining a Giorgio Armani dress. It was a gorgeous cocktail dress in pale blue color that has a scuba touch, and a zip closure that ran from the neckline to more than half of the dress. It did not look too fancy, or the kind you would wear to big occasions. Lucy would not have any use for dresses like that. The dress looked simple, the kind you could wear casually. She ran her fingers along the soft material. The fabric felt extremely good in her hands, and it looked like it suited her, too.

She reached for the price tag, and nearly dropped the dress after seeing how expensive it was. She reluctantly returned the dress, and walked back to Erza and Levy at the other side of the store.

"Hey, Lucy," Erza said as she looked through the clothing. "Why'd you return that blue dress?"

Lucy blushed. "You saw me?"

"Of course, I did. It's just us here. Why did you return it? You could've at least tried it on first. It looks good on you," Erza said in a tempting tone.

Lucy felt like Erza was persuading her. She knew that she couldn't afford the dress even if she tried it on, so she wouldn't bother. It would just make her feel worse.

Just as she was about refuse and voice her thoughts out to Erza, Erza had already called a saleslady and made her bring the blue dress to them. The saleslady gingerly handed the dress to Erza. Then, Erza dumped the dress into Lucy's arms before she could say no, and pushed her into one of the dressing rooms.

"I'll be here when you come out!" Erza said from outside the dressing room.

Lucy held the dress again. It still looked gorgeous. She sighed when she glimpsed the price tag yet again. She decided to utterly forget the idea of ever wearing the dress, but then she remembered Erza waiting outside for her. She knew Erza would not let her go easily.

She closed her eyes as she slipped on the dress. It actually felt really comfortable. After she was sure the dress was zipped up properly, she stepped outside the dressing room, not daring to look at herself.

Erza and Levy were there. She did a twirl to show the dress off. Both of them were unmoving as they looked at Lucy. Lucy felt her shoulders slackened. She guessed the dress was not really for her.

She was about to turn away to the dressing room and strip the dress off when Erza and Levy squealed off their approval.

"It looks gorgeous!" Levy said, her eyes twinkling. "You should look at yourself."

Levy pulled Lucy to a full-length mirror. The sight of her almost took her breath away. The dress wasn't clingy to the point of being constricting, but was just enough to show off her curves. It made her blonde hair and fair complexion stand out. She looked gorgeous and _expensive._ A distant thought of her family crept into her mind, but was quickly shoved away upon hearing Erza's voice.

"You should totally get that. You could wear it with your brown suede shoes," Erza said with sureness in her voice that made Lucy believe that she really did look good. Levy nodded eagerly for encouragement.

Lucy was almost doubtless on getting the dress, but remembered she did not have enough money for it. Her cheeks were inflamed as she spoke to Erza, "I—I don't think I could."

Erza cocked her head to the side. "Why not? If you're thinking that it doesn't look good on you, I tell you, it does."

Lucy lowered her head, and felt herself blush even more. "I don't have enough money for it."

Erza shook her head. "That's not a problem. I could always pay for it."

Lucy stopped her before she called a saleslady. "No, it's okay really. I—I don't…" Lucy trailed off. _I don't want to be a burden more than I already am._ But she did not dare say it loud. Instead, she said, "I have a couple of dresses at home already. It's not a big deal."

"No, Lucy. This is Paris! If you're gonna spend lavishly on something, it's got to be here," Erza said, and waved for a saleslady. "Besides, money is never a problem when it comes to your friends."

Erza winked at her. She told the saleslady that they'll get the dress, handed a couple of bills, and soon the dress, placed in a paper bag, was given to Lucy.

Lucy peered into the paper bag. Having an Armani dress felt surreal. Although, there was a time when designer dresses weren't a problem for her, too. Lucy shook the thought away. She was having lots of negative thoughts lately.

Lucy felt a little embarrassed, but very grateful for Erza who was generous enough to buy her one. She thanked Erza dozens of times. Erza genuinely smiled at her back.

They walked around and visited tons of other shops. Just as Levy took a step towards a Jérôme Dreyfuss shop, the strap of one of her sandals snapped off, causing her to trip face-first on the ground with a thwack. Levy made a muffled groan.

Lucy and Erza rushed towards her. "Are you okay?" Lucy asked as she pulled Levy up on her feet, while Erza picked up Levy's things that had fallen.

Lucy pushed Levy's hair aside, and inspected her head. Aside from a red mark on her forehead indicating her fall, she looked quite okay.

"What happened?" Erza asked, and handed Levy's things back to her.

Levy managed a weak smile. "I'm fine. One of my sandals' straps had fallen off. It was really old anyway."

Lucy bent over, and examined Levy's sandal. "I don't think you could walk in that anymore. It broke off pretty bad."

"It's fine. I think I can manage," Levy said as she poked the strap that had broke. She took her sandals off, and walked barefoot towards a nearby dumpster. She then dumped her sandals.

Erza was looking around, and spotted a Havaianas store. She then pulled Levy towards it. "No problem, Levy. We could buy you flip-flops."

They entered the store, and Erza bought Levy a cute pair of white flip-flops. Levy felt way comfortable in her new flip-flops than in her old sandals. It even matched her white jacket. "Gee, thanks, Erza," she said while wiggling her toes in her new flip-flops.

"No problem," Erza said with a wink.

They were tired from walking, so they decided to sit at a nearby bench and admire the view. They took pictures and stared at their surroundings. Lucy felt calm and peaceful.

"You know, I'm surprised Fairy Tail still has time for shopping and sight-seeing during your tour. You're superstars, and you surely have a lot on your plate," Lucy said, whispering at the Fairy Tail words because there might be some fans around.

Erza smiled. "Even if we're superstars as you put it, we are still normal people who like to spend time with our friends, to travel and eat. We always try to fit exploring the country in our schedule. Emmy helps us with that, too. And even if we're leaving later in the afternoon, I wouldn't miss exploring Paris ever."

Lucy nodded. She was crazy for the band, and so were millions of other people around the world, and Fairy Tail was really popular; sometimes, she forgot that they were still normal teenagers like her. They breathe the same air, live in the same world, and enjoy the same things.

"I texted Natsu to meet us at the Eiffel Tower. I can't wait to see that thing up close," Erza said as she pocketed her phone. Lucy and Levy excitedly stood up and followed Erza. Likewise, they can't wait.

"Where are we gonna find that dessert?!" Gray yelled at Natsu.

Gray and Natsu were panicking, busting in every single pastry shop, café, and bakery to look for a dessert that could beat the chocolate éclairs they had eaten for breakfast. The customers were harassed.

They were currently in a shop called HéDONIE where they sold fresh and organic products. They looked around swiftly and Natsu held a couple of other desserts from other shops. Happy leisurely flew above them, humming Dessert by Dawin as they went.

"I don't know! I can't pick. They're all wonderful," Natsu said in an incomprehensible voice because his mouth was full of French apple tart.

Gray smacked him in the head. "I can't believe you're eating! We're supposed to be finding not eating."

Natsu devoured a crème brûlée next. He stuffed lots of desserts in his mouth, one after the other. He did not respond, or was too concentrated on his _religieuse_ to listen to Gray's complaints.

Gray was really tired, and he felt like giving up. "At this rate, we'll never find that dessert," he said in defeat. His body slumped forward; he was planning to fall on the floor face-first. Instead, he fell into the arms of a girl.

The girl, too surprised for any reaction, fell backwards. Gray could not stop his momentum. The girl was unable to support their weight. Both she and Gray fell on the floor, with Gray on top of her.

Gray heard the girl muttering. He swore she was throwing curses at him in French. "I'm sorry, miss…" Gray said and lifted his face to look at the girl.

During their fall, his sunglasses slid off his face. No longer having something to conceal his face, he was openly exposed to everyone. But he didn't seem to notice.

The girl's eyes widened with recognition, and it was only then that Gray noticed he was no longer wearing his glasses. He pushed himself up, pausing to pick his glasses that had fallen on the floor, and ran over to Natsu who was currently chomping on a Saint Honoré.

"Gray, Erza texted us to meet her at the Eiff—" Natsu was abruptly cut off because Gray had pulled him and Happy suddenly out of the shop. Outside, Gray hailed a taxi.

He looked around to see if someone recognized him. Gray caught a glimpse of the girl running towards him. Before she could ever reach them, Gray shoved Natsu and Happy in the taxi and they sped off.

"The Eiffel tower was spectacular," Lucy said and she happily munched on her meal.

They were currently in Bistro Au Petit Tonneau - Détail carte located in the heart of Paris' 7th arrondissement, in the famous Surcouf Street, and only a few steps away from the Invalides and the Eiffel Tower.

They were exhausted and starving, so they decided to rest and eat in the lovely bistro. However, Natsu did not eat even if he really wanted to. He still felt sick because of the taxi ride that made him vomit all the delicious desserts he had eaten.

Lucy, Erza and Levy met with Natsu, Gray and Happy at the Eiffel Tower earlier. They took a lot of pictures which Lucy sent to her uncle to reassure him that she was okay and having fun. They didn't miss visiting the other celebrated monuments in Paris as well: Arc de triomphe, Notre-Dame and the Sacré-Cœur. Erza was teasing Gray and Natsu about them not finding a perfect dessert all throughout their trip.

They were done with their food when Levy gestured for them to move closer together. "You know, I've been noticing there's this girl who's been following us," Levy whispered, and pointed at a girl who was sitting two tables away from them.

All of them looked slowly over to the girl Levy was referring to. Lucy noticed Gray jump a bit, and mutter something under his breath.

"Maybe she's just going around the city like us," Lucy said. The girl didn't really look that suspicious.

"No. She was there everywhere we went, and she kept stealing glances at us when she thinks we're not looking," Levy said.

Erza eyed her suspiciously. "Maybe she recognized us."

"I wonder why she didn't approach us if she did," Happy said. He paid no attention to the girl. Instead, he continued eating his fish.

Gray sighed. "It was me. I fell over her at a shop earlier. My sunglasses fell off. I think she recognized me."

Erza smacked him in the head. "Manager told us to be careful."

Gray rubbed the back of his neck, and scowled at Erza, but that was all he did. He knew to admit when it was his fault.

"Someone has to talk to her," Erza said.

Lucy suddenly stood up. "I volunteer to talk to her. Besides, I'm not a part of Fairy Tail."

Natsu held her wrist before she could leave. A memory of last night resurfaced in her thoughts. Déjà vu much.

"Be careful," Natsu said in mock seriousness.

"This isn't a suicidal mission, Natsu," Lucy said.

"I still mean it, though. I care for you. We all do," he said, and let go of her wrist.

Lucy stiffened at his words, but managed to laugh it off. Natsu was acting really weird lately. Like he was giving her hints at something. She shrugged it off and walked over to the girl. She looked up at Lucy just as she took a seat in front of her.

"Hi, I'm Lucy," Lucy introduced herself, and held out her hand for a handshake.

The girl just stared at Lucy's hand. Lucy withdrew her hand awkwardly. She stared at the girl's features. She wore a serious expression. The girl screamed blue. She was wearing a cute blue hat, and a cozy-looking blue outfit. She even had long, wavy, blue hair and dark eyes. Her hair was almost the same shade as Levy's.

Lucy cleared her throat. "So—um, I don't know if you speak English, but my friend notic—"

"That is Fairy Tail, isn't it?" the girl interjected. So she did know how to speak English. She had said those few words articulately. Her French accent still surfaced, however.

Lucy suddenly didn't know what to say at her unexpected question. "Um, no, they're my friends."

The girl still wore a sober expression, and it was obvious she didn't buy Lucy's explanation. Lucy felt like she was scrutinizing her.

"I know you. You won the Fairy Tail contest with your best friend. You must been on tour with them," the girl said, unsmiling. "I've been trying to win that contest since the day it was announced."

Lucy was taken aback, but did not show it. "Aren't we all?" Lucy said with a sweet smile.

An awkward silence took place. Lucy felt that the conversation was dragging, and her point of talking to the girl was defeated. She decided to gather up her wits and speak up. "Let's get to the point here, mademoiselle. We've noticed you following us wherever we went. We just want to know what you want."

If the girl was taken aback by the confrontation, she did not show it. She calmly took a sip of her wine. "A few pictures and a little conversation would be nice."

Lucy sighed. "Wait here," she said and stood up. She walked back to their table where her friends where eagerly waiting for some news.

"So, how'd it go? It looked kinda' serious from here," Erza said.

"Nothing I can't handle," Lucy said, and smiled, attempting to make the mood light. "Apparently, she recognized you guys. Heck, she even recognized me."

"Really? Well, did you ask her what she wants?" Gray asked.

"A few pictures and a little conversation were her exact words."

Natsu stretched and yawned. He looked fine by now. "I say we let her so she won't bug us anymore. It wouldn't hurt."

"Aye, we won't be recognizable that much in the photos with our disguises on anyway," Happy said.

Erza nodded. "Please tell her to come here."

Lucy went back to the table where the girl was sitting at. Before she could even speak, the girl bolted towards Fairy Tail. A little irritated, Lucy followed back shortly.

The moment she was in front of Fairy Tail, the sophisticated and severe air around the girl dissipated. She was squealing, and jumping up and down while holding her phone in front of her and taking pictures of them. She was a fan girl like everyone else was. Fairy Tail smiled at her politely as if they faced those types of situations every day, and knew how to deal with them perfectly. They probably did.

"My name is Juvia. I'm such a big fan of yours! I was at your concert yesterday, too," the girl named Juvia screamed elatedly.

Erza immediately put a finger to her lips to silence her. The others looked around warily, but no one seems to have heard her. The people in the shop were all busy doing their thing, or did not feel like listening in to a conversation by a bunch of teenagers.

Juvia giggled and clamped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry. I totally forgot that you're undercover or something."

She suddenly did the unexpected. She jumped into Gray's lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and took a selfie of them. After feeling satisfied with the multiple shots she took, she hugged him tightly.

"Can't—breathe—" Gray struggled to say with Juvia's arms still around his neck that felt like she was going to crush his windpipe. It took all his willpower not to shove Juvia off his lap so hard that she would end up on the floor.

Thankfully, her death grip on him loosened. "No offense to you guys…" she said and turned to the other members of Fairy Tail, and then back to Gray again. "…but you are my favorite! You look so hot when you play the guitar, especially when you take your top off."

Gray felt extremely uncomfortable, and customers started looking over to them. He gently disengaged himself from her arms, and pulled her to her feet. Lucy thought Juvia had hearts in her eyes. She looked dreamy-eyed. She probably thought Gray was going to ask her to dance or something.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Juvia, but we've got a lot of stuff to do. You know how rock stars are. It's a day-to-day job," Gray said in the most persuading voice he could muster.

Juvia's giddy smile instantly vanished. "Yes, of course I understand. Could you guys please sign my CD?"

Each member of Fairy Tail signed her CD. Juvia thanked them. She did not walk away before hugging Gray again and throwing Lucy and Levy a glare. Lucy sighed. She felt like they would be seeing more of her.

"I called Emmy to pick us up," Erza said. "We have to go back and pack for our flight tonight."

The others nodded. Soon, Emmy had arrived, punctual as always. She drove a sleek Mercedez-Benz. They drove silently back to their hotel. Lucy took pictures of every beautiful sight they passed by.

As soon as they arrived at the hotel, they immediately rushed to their rooms to pack up. While packing, Lucy saw the shopping bags beside her bed and remembered the stuff she had bought for Fairy Tail last night.

She picked a small one up, and walked over to Erza. Erza was busy applying make-up on herself. She opted for the natural no make-up look and looked really fresh despite the tiresome day.

Lucy handed over the small paper bag to Erza just as she was finished with her make-up. "What's this?" Erza opened the paper bag. She found a cute and simple maroon headband inside.

"We bought it last night. I know it's not much, but I hope you like it," Lucy said shyly.

Erza held the headband and wore it around her head right away. "It's cute. And it actually goes with my hair. Thanks a lot, Lucy."

Lucy smiled and brightened knowing that Erza liked her gift. She then gave Levy a bookmark with a Paris background and a inscription from the Bible. It was from Proverbs 17:17. It said: "A true friend shows love at all times, And is a brother who is born for times of distress."

"In our case, it's 'sister,'" Lucy said. Levy jumped up—she was sitting on her bed—and hugged Lucy tightly. She tucked it in immediately in one of her books.

As they waited outside their room for their other companions to arrive, Lucy gave her gift to Gray. It was a guitar pick. Gray thanked her, saying that his current guitar pick was already worn out and he definitely needed a new one, and she was just in time. Lucy smiled, knowing that Gray had money to buy the most expensive pick there is but decided to use hers.

Soon, Happy arrived. Lucy's gift to him was a pair of drumsticks with tiny fish drawings around it. Happy appreciated it because it was two things he loved: drumsticks and fish. He even pretended to play the drums in the air.

Natsu was the last to arrive, looking not too excited for their flight. He looked like he was dreading it. Nevertheless, she handed him her gift. It was a golden bangle with the words Fairy Tail engraved on it. She was afraid Natsu would not like it. It wasn't the expensive kind, maybe he didn't like the color, and maybe he thought a bangle wasn't manly enough, or maybe it didn't fit him.

All her worries were pushed away when Natsu wore it. It fitted him perfectly and actually suited him. She was rewarded with a couple thanks from Natsu and one of his biggest grins.

Lucy smiled upon remembering her friends' appreciative reactions. The money she had spent on them was worth it.


End file.
